A New Beginning
by shannigansx
Summary: LL. Lorelai married Christopher when she was 16. This story picks up 16 years later when she divorces him and moves to Stars Hollow with Rory. There, she finds a new life, a new independence, and most unexpectedly, a new friend... Luke.
1. Welcome to Stars Hollow

_Author's Note: I would like to thank Heather (xphilehb) for the beta and for being my sounding board for this fic. There's no way I could have done this without her._

She took one last look at her old home before climbing into the jeep. The remainder of their things was crammed tightly in the back. The movers had already taken most of their belongings earlier in the day. She looked over at her daughter, who had her forehead resting against the window. She couldn't tell if Rory was crying or not. Lorelai touched her shoulder lightly. "You ready, babe?" she asked, half not expecting an answer.

Rory nodded slightly, but didn't remove her gaze from the glass. "Let's go," she responded softly, reaching her hand up to wipe away an escaped tear.

"Aww… sweetie, everything is going to be fine. You know that you can come back whenever you want," Lorelai said, trying to soothe her daughter.

"It's just hard. Everything is going to change." Rory finally allowed herself to meet her mother's gaze. She took a deep breath. "But change can be good," she resolved.

Lorelai smiled. "Change can be very good. One thing won't change though," she added, watching the expression on her daughter's face change to one of curiosity. "You and me. We're in this together. Like always."

Rory allowed herself to smile for the first time in days as her mother started to drive away. "I love you, Mom".

She patted Rory's knee. "I love you too, kid."

The drive to Stars Hollow was mostly silent. Rory was intently staring out the window, taking in the passing sights, leaving Lorelai to her own thoughts. As they grew closer and closer to the small town, Lorelai felt herself becoming more and more nervous. What if her daughter didn't like the town? What if her daughter hated their new house? It was nowhere near the size or stature of their old home. She knew that Rory didn't care about those kinds of things, but she couldn't shake away the fear.

Rory had been very busy at Chilton lately, leaving Lorelai to make all the plans for their new home. Stars Hollow had felt like home from the moment she arrived. It seemed to invite her in, wrapping around her like a warm blanket on a snowy evening. She had instantly fallen in love with the little two bedroom house. It was the kind of house that she had always dreamed of having. Small and cozy. Not at all like the big and cold ones that she had been living in all of her life. When Lorelai had described it to her daughter, Rory had agreed that it sounded perfect. So why was she suddenly so scared? 'Because now, it's actually real,' she thought.

She took the exit to Stars Hollow, and not before long, her daughter was seeing the town for the first time. It was just as charming as she remembered it. The storefronts looked welcoming. The citizens were out and about, chatting in small groups here and there. A group of little girls was practicing a dance with ribbons near the town's gazebo as their instructor – a large, friendly looking woman – looked on. She saw her daughter's face light up as Rory took in the same images. The knot in Lorelai's stomach was beginning to loosen a bit.

"The town's so cute," Rory observed. "Umm… Mom?"

"Yeah, hun?"

"Why is there a grown man stuck up in that tree?"

Lorelai looked in the direction her daughter was motioning towards, and sure enough, there was a man, struggling to free himself from a large tree. Unfortunately, it seemed like he was getting more and more tangled with each of his movements. She shook her head. "I have no idea." She watched as one of his shoes bounded to the ground. "How did he even manage to get up there? Weird."

Rory laughed. "I think that I might like it here if we always get this kind of entertainment."

Shortly after, they arrived at their new house. "Here it is," Lorelai announced. "I know that it's small and nowhere near what we used to live in…"

Rory jumped out of the jeep. "But it's so cute!" She ran to meet her mother on the other side of the jeep. Throwing her arms around her, she exclaimed, "I love it, Mom!"

"Wait until you see the inside before you jump to conclusions," she reminded her daughter, returning the embrace. However, her nervousness had disappeared completely. Why had she been so worried? Sure the house was going to need some work, but it wasn't exactly something out of a horror movie either.

She watched as Rory raced through the front door, only to return a few moments later, bursting with excitement. "Where's my room?"

Lorelai joined her daughter. Maneuvering through the many boxes piled on the floor, she led her to the room right before the kitchen. "Right here." The movers had already placed Rory's furniture in the room.

She watched as her daughter plopped down on the bed. Lorelai could see the wheels in Rory's mind turning as she planned out which of her books would go where. "You can decorate it however you want. We'll go shopping as soon as..." she trailed off. 'As soon as we have the money,' her mind screamed at her. The only money she had agreed to take in the divorce settlement was child support payments for Rory and enough cash to cover the cost of her new house that she couldn't pay for out of her meager savings. Lorelai hadn't even accepted her ex-husband's offer of alimony payments. She refused to take any more money from him. She wasn't going to stay dependent on Christopher – sixteen years had been long enough. She was going to make a new life on her own. She would find a job and support herself. But how could she deny Rory the things she would want simply because she couldn't afford them? None of this was her daughter's fault.

Rory seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry about it, Mom." She gave her mother a bright smile. "It's great."

Lorelai smiled weakly at her daughter. "We'll be able to do something soon. I promise." She walked out into the kitchen. Coffee. She needed coffee. Where was her coffeemaker?

Rory followed her mother. "I'm starving. What can we make for dinner?" she asked as she opened the refrigerator. An empty refrigerator. "Right, we need to go buy some food."

"And do what with it? Stare at it?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "Mom, we have to eat something. You have to be hungry. You're always hungry."

"Speak for yourself. You ate more than me when we had our Willy Wonka night last week," she reminded her daughter.

"That was once. You're the one who finished off a whole pie last night at dinner," Rory stated. "And then, you claimed that you were still hungry. I'm just an amateur compared to you."

"Ahh, but I will teach you well, young one. One day, you'll be able to eat the entire selection of chicken on the Chinese menu in one sitting. I will be so proud." Lorelai pretended to wipe a tear away.

"Yes. And then, you will have to get a forklift just to move me off the couch." Her stomach grumbled. "Now, I'm really hungry."

"I did see a diner back in town..."

Rory grabbed her mother's hand. "Perfect! Let's go before we waste away from starvation."

"Rory, you just reminded Mommy that she ate an entire bakery last night. I don't think we're going to waste away anytime soon," she stated, attempting to stop her daughter from pulling her arm off as she tried to drag her out of the house.

"The diner probably serves coffee," Rory tried.

Bingo! That was the path to Lorelai's heart. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

_To be continued… Please review!_


	2. The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

_Author's note: Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! I have a lot of things planned, and I can't wait to see what you think of them :-) Thanks again to xphilehb for the beta and all of her help!_

The girls made their way through the small town, seeking out the diner that Lorelai had seen, which didn't prove to be too difficult.

Lorelai was reaching for the door handle when her daughter stopped her. "What? I thought you were the one dying a slow death."

Rory pointed inside where two men were arguing. "Maybe we shouldn't eat here."

"Why not? This should be interesting." She grinned at her daughter. "You're the one who wanted entertainment. What could be better than dinner theater?" She opened the door, letting the sounds of the argument drift out, and ushered Rory inside.

"I didn't mean the kind of entertainment where someone ends up in a body bag," Rory muttered.

"But that just makes it more fun," Lorelai answered, taking a seat at a table that offered them a good view of the fight.

"Taylor! For the last time, I said no! Do you need me to spell it out for you? N-O! No!" the one man hollered.

"We got here just in time!" Lorelai whispered.

"I'm still not sure if this was such a good idea," Rory replied. "This doesn't seem like the friendliest place."

"Party pooper."

"Luke, how many times do I have to tell you the importance of this town's history?" Taylor asked.

"Oh, Luke!" Lorelai called in a singsong voice. "We could really use some coffee over here."

"Mom!" Rory hissed.

Luke glared at the strange new woman before answering Taylor. "Apparently a thousand more times, Taylor." When Taylor opened his mouth to speak, Luke quickly continued. "Don't even think about it. My answer is still no. It'll always be no. Now, get the hell out of my diner, before this town has a new history involving murder!"

"One of these days, Luke, your actions are going to come back to haunt you," Taylor remarked, but he was already making his way out of the diner.

"Probably on the same day the men with the white coats come for half the people in this town," Luke answered him. He came over to Lorelai and Rory's table and poured them each some coffee.

"That was fun!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Do you do that often? Because I so need to be here for each and every one of them."

Luke ignored her. "Do you want anything besides coffee?"

"A pony!" she said excitedly. "My mother never let me have one. She was so mean."

"Maybe I should have been clearer. Do you want anything to eat? Or are you just here to be a pain in my ass?" He was really looking annoyed now.

Lorelai appeared to be in thought for a moment. "Hmm..."

"We'll have two cheeseburgers and fries," Rory quickly answered. Luke nodded at her before walking away to make their order. "What is your problem? Are you trying to get on the bad side of the angry diner owner?"

"I'm just teasing him," Lorelai said before taking a sip of her coffee. "Oh, my God!"

"What now?" Rory asked as if she was talking to a young child.

"This is the best coffee I have ever tasted, and we both know that I have tasted plenty of coffee. Starbucks should hire me as a consultant, because I have tasted so much. Seriously, there should be fireworks going off from the excellence of this coffee." Lorelai took another sip. "Heaven," she sighed.

"You exaggerate. You just haven't had any coffee since this morning. I believe that's the withdrawal speaking." Rory took a sip, her mother watching her expectantly. She had to admit, the coffee was amazing. "Wow."

Luke placed their food down in front of them. "Don't eat too fast. You'll choke," he grunted, turning to leave but Lorelai stopped him. He turned back to face her, and for the first time that evening, he noticed this woman's beautiful appearance. Her dark hair grazed her shoulders in gentle waves, and her smile seemed contagious. But her eyes were what reeled him in. They were the most amazing shade of blue that he'd ever seen. He allowed himself to hold her gaze for a second longer before shifting away awkwardly. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone much softer than it had been seconds earlier.

"Uhh..." Lorelai had momentarily lost her train of thought. "I could really use some more of your delicious coffee," she recovered quickly. "It's the best I've ever tasted, and believe me-"

Rory cut her off. "Piece of advice? I'd get her more coffee before she begins proclaiming her love for it again."

Luke smirked, "Got it." He returned seconds later to pour them both another cup. "Are you new in town, or are you just passing through?"

"We just moved here," Lorelai answered. "How did you know that we didn't already live here?"

"Small town," he replied.

"It seems like a really nice town," Rory supplied while munching on her burger.

"It is. Once you get passed all the nutcases," he added. Why was he still standing here talking to them? He never made small talk.

"Tell me about it," agreed Lorelai. "When we left to come here to the diner, we noticed that our neighbor was talking to her garden gnomes."

"Oh, so you just moved in next to Babbette, then?" Before Lorelai could question how he knew that, he reminded her, "Small town. Everyone knows everything about everyone else."

"Right. I'm going to have to get used to that." She held out her hand. "I'm Lorelai, by the way.

He shook her offered hand briefly. "Luke."

"I got that. Small town," she joked before turning to her daughter, "And this is my offspring-"

"Mom, don't be gross." Rory stopped her mother. "I'm Rory."

"Nice to meet you, Rory. I need to get back to work," he excused himself.

"He seems nice," Rory noted.

"He does..." Lorelai agreed softly. "And you thought that we shouldn't come, because he seemed all big and scary!" she added in a much more bubbly tone.

When they were finished eating, Lorelai went up to the counter to get their bill. Luke had his back turned to her, working on some paperwork. "Hey! You in the baseball hat!" she called to get his attention.

He jumped. "Jeez!" He faced her, and she smiled at him.

She reached into her purse in search of her wallet. "I just need the check, and you will be rid of this annoying woman. Well, at least for today."

Before he could stop himself, he found himself saying, "First time is on the house."

She stopped her search. "Really?"

'It never has been before,' he thought, but he answered her, "Yes."

She smiled at him even more brightly. "Thanks, Luke. This is the start of a beautiful friendship. I can feel it."

"Is that so?"

"Yep. It's a gut thing," she explained. "I'm never wrong. You may think that I'm annoying now, but just you wait, I'm going to grow on you."

"Like the way mold grows on bread?" he asked sarcastically, but his eyes were laughing.

"Make fun all you like." She gave him a small wave. "Bye, Luke. We'll see you around."

"Bye, Luke!" Rory echoed.

Luke watched them both as they were walking down the street, laughing at something. He caught himself grinning. There was just something about those two...

_To be continued. Please review!_


	3. Attack of the Water Heater

_Thanks again for all of the reviews! I really appreciate them, and they really are motivating. :-)_

Lorelai stumbled into her bathroom. She turned the water on, waiting for it to warm up as she shed her pajamas. She couldn't wait to take a nice hot shower in her house. Figuring the water would be warm enough, she jumped right in. As soon as the freezing cold water hit her skin, she let out a scream and exited the shower as quickly as she had entered. She wrapped her bathrobe around her. "Crap. So much for a hot shower."

It only took Rory a few seconds to make it up the stairs. "Mom! Are you okay?" she asked, sounding very worried.

"I'm fine," Lorelai assured her daughter. "Either this shower doesn't work, or we have no hot water."

"Let me check," Rory said as she ran back down the stairs. "No hot water here either," she called a minute later.

Frustrated, Lorelai pulled at her hair. She could already hear her mother's voice telling her "I told you so". What was she going to do? She couldn't really afford a plumber at the moment. She took a look at herself in the mirror. She looked horrible. Her hair looked like something had died in it. She took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to do this. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun. She needed coffee.

"Rory!" she called as she bounded down the stairs. "Can you put on some coffee?"

"I could if I knew where the coffeemaker was. Or if we had any coffee," came her daughter's response.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "No coffee? How can we have no coffee?"

"We never went to the store yesterday," Rory pointed out.

She whimpered. "Luke's?"

"Need you even ask?"

After changing quickly, the girls were at Luke's Diner in a matter of minutes.

She didn't see Luke anywhere. "I need coffee!" Lorelai whined as she took a seat at the counter. She let her head drop, hitting it against the cool hard surface of the counter. "Ouch."

"You did that to yourself," Rory scolded.

"What's her problem?" Luke inquired when he came out from behind the curtain.

"She needs coffee."

Lorelai lifted her head and nodded in agreement.

Luke grabbed two clean cups and poured them each a cup. "You look terrible," he noted.

"Don't you know how to win over a lady."

"I just mean that you look like you've had a rough night."

She took a sip of her coffee. "Mmm..." She shook her head. "I'm fine. Just needed some caffeine."

"Maybe you should lay off this stuff a bit. It's going to kill you one day."

"I'll keep that in mind. Right now, coffee is my lifeline."

"Junkie." He smirked at her before walking away to serve other customers.

Rory finished up her cup. "Do you want me to go get us some groceries? You know, just the basics that we need to survive."

"Sounds good." She handed her daughter one of the few bills she had left in her wallet. "If you're short on cash, remember, coffee is much more nutritious than milk. Use your discretion." She gave Rory a quick kiss. "Bye, hon."

Once Rory left, Lorelai watched Luke as he moved around his diner. There was a rhythm to his movements. He could easily juggle two hot plates and the coffeepot at one time. He was taking an order when he looked up and caught her staring at him. Lorelai quickly looked away in embarrassment, intently studying her mug. She hadn't meant to stare. Moments later, she saw the coffeepot out of the corner of her eye. She looked up to see Luke standing behind the counter right in front of her.

"More?" he questioned, holding out the pot of dark liquid.

She nodded. "You're going to have to learn that you never have to ask me if I want more. The answer is always going to be yes," Lorelai informed him.

"Got it," he replied.

She nursed her cup of coffee for awhile, having an internal debate with herself. Finally, figuring she had nothing to lose, she spoke up. "Hey, Luke?" she said to get his attention as he walked by her.

He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"Umm... not that I expect you to know anyone. And I hate to even bring this up. It's just that well... Do you umm... It's not even really my place to ask this but... Do you happen to know... Well, the thing is..."

"Is there a question anywhere in there, Lorelai?" he asked, beginning to get annoyed.

"Nevermind, it's my problem. Not yours." She hopped off her stool. "I gotta get going." She placed a few dollars on the counter for the coffee.

He reached out and placed his hand over hers, causing her to look back up at him. "What is it?" his tone much kinder and full of concern.

She sighed. "Do you know a plumber who can work for cheap?"

"It depends. What do you need done?"

"I have no hot water," Lorelai told him. "My excursion into the shower this morning almost ended with me getting hypothermia."

"It's an older house. It's probably something with the water heater," he explained. "It should be easy to fix." She gave him a doubtful look. "I'm not a plumber, but I can come over and take a look at it."

Her expression brightened. "You think you can fix it?"

"I can try. I'll come over in a little bit."

"Thank you! Thank you, Luke! I really mean it!" she gushed.

Lorelai was in the midst of unpacking one of her many boxes when she heard a knock at her door. She practically tripped over another box as she ran to the door. She flung it open, almost startling Luke. "Hi, Luke! Come in."

He followed her through the entryway and held up his toolbox. "Just show me the way." He noticed the room full of boxes. "And the safest path," he added. "You do know that you're supposed to unpack the boxes and then get rid of them, right? You're not actually supposed to keep them around."

"This way," she said leading him to the water heater, ignoring his last comment. "Can you fix it?"

"I haven't even looked at it yet."

"Can you fix it?" she asked again.

"Are you going to accept any answer other than yes?"

"Nope."

"I can fix it," he announced. He leaned over to try to get a look behind the heater. Lorelai hovered close behind him. "I'm going to need a little space here."

She backed off. "Fine. I'll go unpack some more," she groaned.

A few minutes later, she heard Luke in the kitchen running the faucet. She joined him. "Is the water getting hot?"

He turned to face her. "It's working fine now," he informed her.

She threw her arms around him. "You're the best!"

He shrugged. "Don't get too excited. Something was just a little loose. No big deal."

"Maybe not to you, but you got to shower this morning. I'm all gross." She pretended to sniff her arm and made a face. "And smelly."

He chuckled. "Enjoy your shower. Err... well, you know, you... I better get back to the diner," he finished.

It took all she had not to burst out laughing from the ten shades of red Luke was turning. "Thanks again, Luke."

He nodded, thankful she kept whatever remarks that were on her mind to herself. He paused before leaving her house. "I'll see you later?"

"You can count on it."

_To be continued. Please review._


	4. Lorelai Gets a Job or Two

_Author's Note: Thanks again for all of your kind words. They all mean a lot to me. And thanks to xphilehb for being an amazing beta!_

Luke looked up from the receipts he was going through when the bell above the door jingled. He smiled as Lorelai came in and took a seat right in front of him. "Coffee?" he asked, grabbing the pot.

She nodded in agreement, watching intently as the hot liquid was poured into her mug. She blew on it to cool it a bit before taking a sip. "Mmm..." she sighed.

"Where's Rory this morning?"

"She left for school," Lorelai answered, placing her mug on the counter. "She goes to school in Hartford at Chilton," she continued after seeing his confused expression. "The bus leaves pretty early." She ran her fingers along the top of her mug. "I suppose that I could have let Christopher get her a car, but I never really liked that idea."

"Christopher?" he inquired.

"My ex-husband. Rory's father. I can just hear my mother now. 'You should have let him buy Rory a car. He is her father. You should let us buy her a car. How could you let her ride the bus from that horrible little town? Only murderers and hoodlums ride the bus.' She drives me insane!" Lorelai groaned.

"That sounds a little extreme."

"Well, you don't know my mother. She makes Hitler look like an upstanding citizen," she stated. "And I just give her one disappointment after another. She hates that I left Chris and brought Rory here."

"This town isn't so bad," he offered.

"It is in the eyes of Emily Gilmore, Miss High-Class Elitist. She'd probably have a heart attack if she saw my new house." Lorelai thought for a moment. "Hmm... maybe I should invite her over. Nah, she would just rip apart every little thing that I have going. I don't want to deal with that at the moment. Or even deal with her at all." She noticed that Luke was beginning to look a little uncomfortable. She felt embarrassed for going on like this. "Sorry. My mother is not the best subject for me."

"It's okay."

"We haven't spoken to each other since I told her that things were over between Chris and I, so I should actually feel a bit relieved. For the first time in my life, I don't have Emily breathing down my back. And for the first time since I was sixteen, I don't have a husband either. I'm finally free."

"You got married at sixteen?" Luke asked, surprise evident in his voice.

She nodded. "Crazy, huh? I did it for Rory. Our parents thought it was for the best, and for some unknown reason, I believed them. It must have been all those wacky pregnancy hormones. Sometimes, I wonder what life would have been like if I hadn't gotten married..." she trailed off. "I'll shut up now. I didn't mean to talk your ear off. I haven't said much of anything to anyone since this all started, and I guess that I just got a little carried away."

"It's okay," he told her. "I don't mind." He patted her hand. "I'm always here," he said softly before walking away to serve other customers.

When then diner emptied out from the breakfast rush, Lorelai started up a new conversation with Luke. "Hey, Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you happen to know anyone who is hiring?"

He paused and thought for a moment. "Not that I know of."

"Oh. Okay," she said, sounding disappointed.

"You should talk to Miss Patty though," he informed her. "She usually knows everything that's going on in town so she might know someone who is looking. You can probably find her at her dance studio." Luke pointed across the town square in the direction of the studio.

Lorelai looked over her shoulder to see where Luke was pointing. "Got it. Thanks, Luke!" She got down from her stool. "I'll see you later." She gave him a huge smile. "I am off to get a job."

"Good luck," he offered, as he watched her leave the diner. He was a bit surprised to realize just how much he meant it. She had such a look of determination on her face, and she held herself with confidence. Lorelai was quite the character. With that kind of attitude, Luke doubted she'd have any trouble finding a job. Yet, he wished he could help her in some way. He wanted to see her be able to provide for herself and for Rory.

After answering what seemed like a million of Miss Patty's questions – she really was very nosy – and fending off questions about Luke – Miss Patty thought it was strange that he was the one who sent her, Lorelai managed to learn that the Independence Inn might be hiring. After getting directions, she thanked Miss Patty and made her way across town to the Inn.

Lorelai straightened out her blouse and skirt before walking up to the reception desk. She had the same air of confidence that she had when she left Luke's. "Hello," she greeted the man behind the desk. "I'd like to speak to a manager."

The man didn't even bother to look up at her. "I am busy," he dismissed her in a strong French accent.

She didn't give up. "I heard that you might have some positions available. Is there someone that I could speak to?"

"Speak to someone who cares, which I don't," he answered nonchalantly.

"Michel!" Lorelai heard a woman's voice come from behind her. "We've had this conversation before."

Michel simply shrugged.

Lorelai turned to face the woman. "Hi. I'm Lorelai Gilmore. I just moved to Stars Hollow, and I heard from Miss Patty that you may be looking for some help."

The woman gave her a friendly smile. "Why don't we go to my office and talk?"

Lorelai smiled gratefully and followed her into her office.

"Now, Lorelai, what can I do for you? You're looking for some work, right? What kind of hotel experience do you have?"

Lorelai's face fell a bit. "None, actually," she admitted. "But I am a hard worker and a fast learner. I'll do anything you want me to do."

"Well, what kind of previous work experience do you have?"

"I've never had an actual job." She thought quickly. "However, I do have plenty of experience in planning dinners, fundraisers, and other events." The woman suddenly looked interested so Lorelai continued. "I have spent close to fourteen years planning DAR events, dinner parties, and well, you name it, and I have probably planned it. I had to carry these things out flawlessly to get my mother's approval, and believe me, she is a perfectionist." And a royal pain in the ass, she felt like adding. "I've also developed some connections through the years in order to get the best things possible for these events so I could definitely offer your clients the best."

"You have perfect timing, dear," the older woman stated. "Our old event coordinator just left us, and I've been stuck with planning the parties and dinners. It's driving me insane. I could really use someone like you if you're as good as you say."

Lorelai nodded.

"I'm going to take a chance with you. I don't know why, but you seem very determined. As the event coordinator, you'll be in charge of meeting with our clients and setting up everything for their event. You can work with our chef Sookie to plan out menus, and she'll be able to help you set up tastings. You also might have a little deskwork and reception work, but it's nothing that you shouldn't be able to handle. How does that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful. Thank you!"

She held out her hand. "I'm Mia, by the way, the owner of this inn."

Lorelai shook her hand, a huge smile on her face. "It's great to meet you, Mia."

"So you just moved here?" Lorelai nodded. "Well, how about you take the rest of this week to get yourself settled, and I will see you Monday morning at eight? I'll show you around, and then get you started with some of our events."

"Sounds good, Mia. Thanks again. I won't disappoint you."

Mia smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Luke!" Lorelai cried as she burst through the diner door.

"Keep it down," he grunted.

"Why?" she asked. "There's no one else here."

"Well, I'm here." He took in her excited expression. "Any luck?"

She took a seat at the counter. "You are looking at the new event coordinator for the Independence Inn."

"Congratulations." Luke smiled.

"I am a working woman now!" she exclaimed. "That didn't come out right." She held up a mug. "Coffee to celebrate?"

He poured her a cup. "Fine, but this stuff will kill you one day." He watched as she drank a huge gulp, and decided that now was as good a time as any to propose his idea. Ever since Lorelai had left this morning, he'd been formulating a plan. "I was thinking..."

She looked up at him. "Thinking what?"

"I was thinking that if you needed some extra money... I mean since you're just starting out... Well, I could use some help a few hours a week," he managed to choke out. "You know, here at the diner. It's not very difficult, you'll just have to take some orders and carry out some food."

"Are you offering me a job?"

"I guess that I am. So what do you think?" he asked nervously.

"Well, I don't start at the Inn until Monday, and I could use the money..." Lorelai thought for a moment. "Are you sure that you want me working here? I won't annoy you too much?"

"I might be kicking myself for this later, but I'm sure."

She hopped off her stool and bounded around the counter. "What do you want me to do?"

"There's no one here right now," he said, motioning to all the empty tables.

She grabbed the coffeepot. "Right. Pour Lorelai more coffee," she said as she poured herself another cup. "Hey, Luke? Does working here mean that I get free coffee from now on?"

"If I say no, will you listen?" She shook her head 'no'. "Then, I guess it does, but it's your funeral."

She sipped her coffee. "It'll be a very merry funeral." She tilted her head in thought. "Do I get a pretty apron to wear?"

"No."

"What if I bring my own pretty apron? Can I wear it then?"

"No."

"Ooh! I'm going to make myself a flannel apron so I can match you!"

"Lorelai," he warned. "Do I need to fire you before you even start?"

"I'll be good," she promised. She watched as a young Korean girl came in and took a seat. Luke was about to walk over when she stopped him. "Let me. I need the practice," she said gleefully.

The girl didn't even bother to wait for Lorelai to speak first. "I'd like a burger and fries. And can you make it fast?"

Lorelai jotted her order down. "Anything to drink?"

"No time," the girl replied.

Lorelai walked back behind the counter to give Luke the order, but he was already in the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

"Making her order."

"But I haven't given it to you yet."

"I could hear her tell you, and Lane usually always orders the same thing when she's in a rush."

Lorelai pouted. "I wrote her order down and everything."

"You got your practice then."

He finished Lane's meal and handed it to Lorelai. She took it over to the young girl who immediately plowed right in.

"Slow down," Lorelai cautioned. "I know that I eat fast, but right now, you'd be leaving me in the dust."

The girl shook her head. "No time. I have to be home for dinner."

"Dinner?"

"My mom just got in a huge order of tofu." She looked at her watch. "I gotta run." She threw some money on the table and ran out the door with the remainder of her hamburger in her hand.

Lorelai grabbed the empty plate. "Tofu. Yuck. That poor girl." She walked back to Luke. "So how'd I do?"

"You managed to carry a single plate. Should I be patting you on the back?"

"Haha, Mr. Sour Pants." She gave him a brilliant smile which he immediately returned. "You're going to like me working here."

"God, help me."

_To be continued. I love reviews!_


	5. Turkey Day is Approaching

_Author's Note: Thanks for all of your wonderful feedback! I'm sorry that it's taking so long to update. Stupid school and work getting in the way of writing. And as always, I want to thank my amazing beta xphilehb. She's been so helpful since I started writing this fic._

Lorelai easily fell into a routine with both of her new jobs. She would spend most of her mornings and afternoons at the Inn. Mia was immediately impressed with Lorelai's ability to successfully plan any kind of event that was thrown at her. Lorelai handled everything with such poise, and most importantly, the Inn's customers loved her. She could make even the grumpiest of guests laugh.

In the early mornings and some evenings, Lorelai worked at Luke's. In order not to take away from her time with Rory, he usually had her working the evenings in which Rory had to stay at Chilton to work on the paper or to meet with friends. However, even if she wasn't working, Lorelai often found herself at the diner. Luke had quickly become her and Rory's coffee and meal provider. If Lorelai was being completely honest, Luke had also become her closest friend in Stars Hollow, as evidenced by the fact that she had also taken to going to the diner during many of her breaks at the Inn. No matter how busy the diner was, Luke always found time to stop and chat with Lorelai about her day.

Before long, almost a month had passed since Lorelai and Rory had first moved to Stars Hollow.

One evening, Lorelai was sitting in the diner after her shift had ended. She was drumming her fingers on the counter to the beat of the tune she was humming in her head. She was waiting for Rory to meet her so they could buy junk food for their movie night. Today was the last day of school before the short Thanksgiving break, but Rory's friend Paris had insisted that they stay late to work on the next issue of the Franklin, and knowing Paris, this evening would be a late one. Luke caught her hand, which abruptly stopped the song in her head. "What?" she asked.

"You've been staring off into space for the last ten minutes, and I couldn't get your attention. I even tried coffee." He pointed to the fresh cup of coffee in front of her. "Something the matter?"

"No, I'm just bored," she whined. "I know! You can entertain me. Dance, burger boy!"

He simply rolled his eyes at her.

She pouted. "You're no fun."

Luke leaned against the counter. "What are yours and Rory's plans this week?"

"Let's see... tonight is a movie night, so we will be consuming massive amounts of junk food. Then tomorrow, we're going to knock over a liquor store and follow it up by picking up guys at the gas station," she joked.

"As long as you have a plan." He continued, "I meant for the holiday."

"Oh. Well, I haven't given it much thought actually. We usually went to Chris' parents' and then my parents' dinners, but this year, I don't know. I'm not exactly my mother's favorite person right now, and I'd give anything not to go to her dinner anyway this year."

"Every year, I make a dinner here at the diner for the people who have nowhere else to go. You and Rory could come," he suggested. "If you want to," he added.

"You know? I think I'd like that." She smiled at him. "It wouldn't be too much trouble for you to have us here? Remember, Rory and I eat enough for ten people."

"I feed you both at least once a day," he reminded her. "I always make too much anyway. At least now I won't be sitting on leftovers, because I'll have the human garbage disposals eating right here."

"Don't you know how to turn a lady on."

"I don't see a lady," he teased.

She playfully punched him in the arm. "Watch it there, buddy."

"So you'll be here? Three o'clock?"

"We'll be here," she assured him, watching his lips curve into a smile. She couldn't help but return his grin.

Luke pointed out the window. "I see Rory."

"Finally!" Lorelai cried, leaping off her stool. She waved to Luke before turning to leave.

"Wait," he said, causing her to stop in her steps.

She turned back to face him. "What?"

He pointed to her flannel apron that was left sitting on the stool beside the one she had been seated on. "You know the rules. If you leave it here, I will burn it."

"Isn't that against the 'Flannel Code of Honor'?" she questioned, before picking up her discarded apron and hugging it to her chest. "He didn't mean it, Flanny," she cooed to the apron. She looked back up at Luke. "You hurt her feelings."

"I'm crying on the inside."

"You're mean," she told him before leaving to meet Rory outside.

"Hey Mom," a tired Rory greeted her mother.

"Hey, babe." Lorelai gave her a daughter a quick kiss on the cheek. She wrapped her arm around her Rory's shoulder. "Rough time at the paper?"

"You know how Paris is. Everything must be perfect before we can stop, even though this edition won't go out for another week."

"That girl needs a hobby. Or a pet. Dogs are supposed to lower your stress levels. Maybe one would calm her nerves."

"She'd probably train it to be just as neurotic as her, and no dog deserves to go through that," Rory stated.

"Good point." Lorelai watched as Rory yawned. "Are you still up for our movie night, kid? Or are you going to fall asleep during the first film? You know how I'll cry if you fall asleep while the Oompa Loompas are singing."

"That was one time, and I was six. You'll never let that go, will you?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Not a chance. So what's the verdict? Are you up to it?"

Rory's face brightened. "Of course I am!"

Lorelai lead her daughter towards Doose's Market. "So I found someplace for us to eat on Thanksgiving."

Rory turned to face her mother. "Where?"

"Luke's. Apparently, he makes a huge feast every year, and he invited us to come."

"But what about Grandma's dinner?" Rory asked.

"She never really invited us this year," Lorelai informed her daughter.

"She invited us."

"When?" Lorelai inquired. "I would remember the nagging voice of my mother."

"I talked to her this weekend. She said that she was expecting us," Rory told her mother.

"Well, she shouldn't be expecting us this year."

"Mom, we go there every year," Rory pointed out.

"All the more reason not to go," Lorelai assured her.

"Won't she be mad if we miss it?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't care. And to be honest, I don't think that I could really handle Emily at the moment."

"But Mom..."

Lorelai interrupted before her daughter could say anything else. "Rory, I'm not going. But if you really want to go, you can. Their dinner isn't until the evening, so you can have dinner with me at Luke's and then go to theirs. I'm sure they'll be glad to see you," she said curtly.

"I don't want you to be mad at me."

"It's fine, Rory." Lorelai lightened her tone of voice. "I don't want to keep you from your grandparents. You should have dinner with them. I'm just not ready to see them yet. Can you please accept that?" Her daughter gave her a nod. "Now, how about we shop for that junk food that Luke swears will rot out our insides?"

"Can we get some cookie dough?" asked Rory. "We haven't had any in forever."

"Is it even possible to watch Willy Wonka without cookie dough?" Lorelai pondered.

"We wouldn't know."

_To be continued. Please review! It brings an extra big smile to my face. :-D_


	6. A Feast and an Accusation

_Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who left feedback. I really appreciate it. I know that I always say that, but I do mean it. _

_Thanks also to my wonderful beta xphilehb!_

Thanksgiving afternoon, the girls arrived at the diner for Luke's dinner. Already, the diner was filled with other patrons, who were enjoying their dinners. Lorelai waved at her neighbors Babbette and Morey before making her way to the counter where Luke was busy preparing more plates. "Hey," she greeted him.

He looked up and smiled at her. "Hi." Seeing Rory behind her, he added, "Hey Rory."

"Hi Luke," she replied.

"I saved you two a table right over there." He pointed to the only empty table in the diner. Rory took a seat, but Lorelai remained standing in front of him. "What? I'm not going to let you eat standing up." She gave him an innocent smile, bringing a bouquet of flowers into view. "What are those for?"

"These are for you, to say thanks for inviting us here." She handed the flowers to him.

He gave her an odd look. "What am I supposed to do with them?"

"One usually puts them in a vase."

"I don't have a vase."

"Who doesn't have a vase?" she asked.

"Me apparently."

"Why don't you have one?"

"Because I never needed one," he told her sharply. "Will you quit bugging me about the damn vase?" Seeing a look of disappointment momentarily cross her face, he instantly regretted his harsh tone. He pulled out an empty water pitcher and placed the flowers in it. "Thanks for the flowers," he said sincerely, giving her a small smile and hoping that she'd return it.

She did. "You're welcome," she replied softly.

"Take a seat, and I will get you your dinners."

Lorelai did as she was told, joining Rory at their table.

"I told you that he wouldn't want flowers," Rory told her mother.

Lorelai shrugged. "I was just trying to be nice. And I had to buy some for your grandmother anyway after you kept reminding me that we always bring her flowers on holidays."

Luke arrived with their plates. "Here, you go. There's plenty of food if you want more," he stated. "But keep in mind that you should save room for dessert."

"Hold on," Lorelai said. "Do my ears deceive me, or did Luke "That Stuff Will Kill You" Danes just advocate the eating of dessert! I need to get this on tape for future record!"

Luke tolled his eyes at her. "Well, don't tell anyone, but even I like a little pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving."

"Oh! There's pie!" she asked excitedly.

"There's pie." He laughed as Lorelai squealed with delight. "Dig in," he said before walking away.

Rory began to eat, but Lorelai's gaze remained on Luke. She watched him walk back to the counter where one more plate was waiting. He took a seat and started to eat. Alone. "I'll be right back," Lorelai informed her daughter, who simply nodded at her as her mouth was too full to do much else. She walked up to the counter and leaned against it next to Luke.

He stopped eating and turned to face her. "You cannot be done with your first plate already."

"Don't underestimate a Gilmore girl," she said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"

He motioned to his plate. "What do you think I'm doing? I was trying to eat," he said matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean, what are you doing eating here? I thought that when you invited us here for dinner, we'd be having dinner with you. You know, all of us eating at the same table." She held out her hand to him. "So, are you coming?"

He stared at the hand she offered him a few moments before slipping his own hand into her grasp. She grinned at him, and he felt himself grinning back. Grabbing his plate with his free hand, he allowed Lorelai to lead him back to her table amidst whispering from the neighboring tables.

Lorelai returned to her seat. "That's better," she said as Luke sat beside her.

Lorelai spent the entire dinner talking with such animation that Luke found himself wondering how she managed to eat as much as she did. She was hardly quiet for a moment. Rory would add in a quip or two every so often, and he would talk when Lorelai forced something out of him, but mostly, it was Lorelai who kept the conversation going.

Normally Luke would find that kind of constant chatter from one person downright annoying, but for some reason with Lorelai, he found it rather charming. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she could find enjoyment in anything. She was always so excited, so alive. More alive than he himself had ever been anyway, Luke thought, and he was sure that if anyone had a reason to hate life, it was Lorelai Gilmore. She constantly brought a smile to his face, which was a feat very few people could accomplish. He had to admit, this was shaping up to be one of the best holidays in a long time.

During his second plate, and the girls' fourth plate (Or was it five? He had lost track.), Rory looked at her watch and announced that she had to be going and stood up to leave.

"But you haven't even had pie yet!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"If I don't leave now, I'll be late to grandma's dinner." She leaned over and gave her mother a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later, Mom. Thanks for the dinner, Luke. It was delicious," Rory told him. Waving goodbye, she left the diner.

"Drive carefully," Lorelai shouted after Rory, doubting that Rory heard her before the diner door closed. She suddenly felt very sad. Her daughter had just left her alone on Thanksgiving. She had spent the whole dinner hoping that Rory would change her mind and decide not to go. Now that Rory had actually left, her high spirits were quickly crashing down. She felt Luke touch her shoulder gently. She looked over at him. He seemed to sense the downturn in her mood.

"I have two kinds of pie. Pumpkin and cherry. What'll it be?" he inquired. "Both," he answered for her.

She laughed. Maybe she wasn't alone after all.

Luke and Lorelai were sitting in an empty diner when Rory returned. They were both laughing about something. Rory watched her mother through the window. Lorelai looked so happy. Rory hadn't seen her mother laugh like that in a long time, and she felt slightly guilty for not being completely happy herself at seeing her mother that way. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the diner. "Hey," she greeted them.

Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "Hey, kid! How was dinner with Mussolini?" she asked, causing Luke to chuckle. Lorelai gave him a playful shove.

'She must have been telling him Emily stories,' Rory thought to herself. "It went well. Both grandma and grandpa were disappointed that you didn't come."

"I'm sure they'll live," Lorelai snorted. "Ready to go home?" Rory gave her a nod. "I'll see you tomorrow," Lorelai told Luke, giving him a bright smile as she and Rory left the diner.

They were walking in silence when Lorelai noticed that Rory had abruptly stopped. "What is it, babe?" Lorelai questioned, turning around and facing her daughter.

"I know that you tell me everything, but I can understand why you wouldn't have told me if something happened," Rory started.

"If what happened?"

"Something between you and Luke," Rory finished. Her mother seemed surprised. "I see the way you look at him. You go to the diner all the time."

"He gives me coffee. And I work there."

"Mom!" Rory cried, aggravated.

"Nothing's happened, Rory. He's my friend. That's all."

"You don't have to lie to me. I'd understand," she assured her mother. "I know about Sherry," she added quietly.

Now, Lorelai was even more surprised. "How did you...?" Lorelai trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"I know that Dad cheated on you with her. That's why you got divorced."

Lorelai shook her head. "Rory, it was more than just that. We had problems long before Sherry. Your father and I tried to make it work for sixteen years, but we just weren't happy together. And when I found out about Sherry, it was the last straw."

"Was she the first?" Rory let the question slip from her mouth. She instantly regretted it. She didn't want to know. Did she?

Lorelai took a deep breath. "No. She wasn't. I didn't know about the others until later."

Rory slowly nodded, finally understanding. "All of his late nights at the office. The trips..."

"I don't know, Rory. Honestly, I didn't ask. I didn't want to know. I don't think that I could have handled it," Lorelai admitted.

"This is all my fault."

"What?" Lorelai asked with disbelief.

"I was the reason you got married. If it wasn't for me, you could have been happy. You wouldn't have had to marry Dad." Rory was openly crying now.

Lorelai closed the distance between herself and her daughter, placing her hands on Rory's shoulders. She made sure Rory was looking her directly in the eye before she began. "Listen to me carefully, kid. First off, I didn't have to marry your father. I made the decision to do so," Lorelai explained. "Secondly, you're the one thing in my life that has always made me happy. I will never, ever regret having you. Do you hear me? Never."

Rory wiped away her tears and nodded. "And Luke?" she asked feebly.

"He's my friend. A very good friend. But just a friend nonetheless," Lorelai reassured her daughter.

"Okay." Rory gave her mother a weak smile. "I do like Luke. I really do. I don't want you to think that I don't."

Lorelai pulled her daughter into her embrace. "I love you, hun," she said, stroking Rory's hair. "I'm not ready to date anyone yet. And when I am, I will tell you first. Okay?"

Rory nodded.

Lorelai turned to face in the same direction as Rory and wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulders. "Come on. Let's go home."

The next morning, Luke was wiping the counter when Rory came in. He wasn't too surprised to see her – she had been in the diner a few times without Lorelai – but something about the look in her eyes made Luke stop what he was doing. "Hey Rory," he greeted her.

She looked Luke straight in the eyes. "Promise me that you won't hurt her," she said.

Luke was almost too shocked to answer. "I promise," he managed to stutter out.

Rory nodded. She quickly spun around on her heels and left the diner, leaving a stunned Luke behind her.

_To be continued… Please review! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope that you all liked it._


	7. The Crap Shack Craps Out

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the great feedback! You are all awesome readers. I hope that you enjoy this part!_

Luke was in the middle of the breakfast rush when he heard the diner phone ringing. Quickly dropping off the plates he was carrying in the kitchen, he made his way over to answer it. "Hello?" he answered over the noisy sounds of the crowd.

"Hey Luke, do you have a minute?" Lorelai's voice greeted him.

He almost told her to call back later, but something in her tone of voice stopped him. "Just give me a second," he told her, making his way into the stockroom. "Okay," he said as he closed the door behind him and settled down on a nearby crate.

"Do you think you can come over sometime today? With your tools?" she asked. "I could use your help with something."

"Did your water heater go out again?"

"Not this time. It's something else."

Her voice was strained, Luke noted. She sounded really stressed out about something. He didn't even need to think about his answer. "I'll be there in about an hour."

"Sounds good. Thank you so much, Luke," she said, sounding a bit relieved. "See you later."

"Bye," he said before she hung up the phone.

After the diner calmed down, Luke left Ceasar in charge, grabbed his toolbox and headed over to Lorelai's. When he knocked on her door, no one answered. Trying the doorknob, he found that the door was unlocked. "Hello?" he called, choosing to let himself in. "Lorelai?"

"In here, Luke," she answered from the kitchen.

"You didn't answer your..." He saw her sitting on the floor as he rounded the corner to her kitchen, her clothes soaking wet, with her head in her hands. "Door," he finished. She looked up at him with a tearstained face. "What's wrong?" he asked, taking off his coat and hanging it on a chair before stooping down next to her.

"Nothing is going right," she told him, refusing to look at him.

"I can fix whatever it is. Just point the way," he said, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"It's more than just one thing. This house hates me."

"It does not hate you. It's an older house. Things are bound to go wrong."

Her eyes finally met his. "Something is wrong with the washer – water is everywhere – and I can't figure it out, one of the steps in the staircase gave out, and my upstairs sink isn't working," she informed him.

"All things that I can probably fix," he said, giving her a smile. Grasping her hands, he helped her to her feet. "I'll take a look at the washer first."

"You might want to roll up your pants first," she recommended. "The water is pretty deep."

Looking into the laundry room, he saw that she was right. He slipped off his shoes and socks and rolled up his jeans. "Why don't you grab a bucket or two and a mop while I take a look?"

She gave him a nod. "I can do that."

He went into the flooded room. Within minutes, he found the problem – a loose connection. He had it tightened by the time Lorelai returned with a mop and bucket. "It's fixed."

She gave him a smile from her spot in the doorway. "Already?"

"It was just a loose connection. It shouldn't give you any more problems," he assured her. She looked relieved. "Let's get this place cleaned up." As she walked toward him, he noticed that she was limping. "What happened?" he asked, pointing to her ankle.

"Seeing as I am the most graceful person ever, I lost my balance on the wet floor." She shook it off. "It's no big deal."

"Go sit down. I'll handle this."

"Luke, you don't have to-" she began.

"No," he cut her off. "I got this."

It took him awhile, but he managed to get most of the water cleaned up. Walking back into the kitchen, he found Lorelai seated with her right ankle perched on another chair. She shivered. "You need to change, or you're going to be sick," he told her. "Come here." Standing on the side of her bad ankle, he pulled her up from her chair, supporting her so she wouldn't have to put pressure on the injury. He helped her up the stairs, avoiding the broken one, and led her into her room. "I'll go take a look at the sink and try to do something about that step while you change. Don't try going down the stairs by yourself, I'll be back when I'm done."

She simply nodded as he left her room, closing the door softly behind him. Lorelai was feeling really foolish. She hadn't meant to break down earlier. She was usually so strong, but she had been so frustrated. She hadn't wanted Luke to see her crying, but after he did, she almost felt relieved. She didn't feel uncomfortable like she usually did when someone saw her cry.

This friendship she had going on with Luke was a new thing for her. In her former life, her 'married-to-Chris, full-of-the-DAR-and-Emily-Gilmore' life, she had never felt accepted. Friendships were built on social status alone. Thus, she'd never let her true feelings show. She never really let anyone but Rory truly see who she was. But it wasn't like that in Stars Hollow... especially with Luke. Here, and with him, she could be herself without fear of rejection.

Stirring from her thoughts, Lorelai hobbled over to her dresser to pull out some dry clothing. She could hear hammering coming from the staircase. One day, she would have to repay Luke for all that he was doing for her. He didn't have any obligation, but he didn't even hesitate to help, and she knew that he would ask for nothing in return.

She changed quickly, careful not to put any pressure on her ankle. She returned to her bed and waited for Luke to return. Ordinarily, she probably wouldn't have listened to his directions, and she would have gone straight out of her room to see what he was working on. But her ankle was beginning to swell, so she thought it best to just wait. She didn't have to wait too long before she heard a soft knock on her door. "Come in," she said.

"Everything's fixed," he informed her as he opened the door and came in. "Ready to go back downstairs?"

She nodded. Once again, she felt his arm go around her waist to lend her support. As she stood to her feet, she took advantage of the moment to wrap her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. "Thank you, Luke, for everything," she whispered against his neck.

His face reddened slightly, a little shocked that she was hugging him. "It was nothing," he responded, brushing it off.

"It wasn't nothing to me," she told him softly before pulling away. She smiled at him. "You take good care of me."

He returned her smile. "We should put something on that ankle."

"See?" she questioned as he helped her out of her room and down the stairs. "You're taking care of me right now."

He made sure that she was lying comfortably on the couch before heading into the kitchen for something cold to put on her ankle. He returned moments later carrying a bag of frozen broccoli. "I can't believe that Lorelai Gilmore has vegetables in her house."

"Taylor started giving me a lecture the last time I was at the store about how I should be feeding Rory better, so I bought the broccoli just to shut him up."

"I lecture you everyday, and it never seems to do any good."

"Yes, but all I have to do is pout, and you'll give me whatever I want," she reminded him. "The pout doesn't seem to work on Taylor. Believe me, I tried. And besides, it's not like we've actually eaten the broccoli."

"You're going to die before you reach fifty." He sat next to her on the couch and gingerly placed her swollen ankle in his lap. He placed the cold bag on it.

She flinched. "Cold," she stated.

"It'll help with the swelling." His fingers gently examined her ankle. "I think it's just a sprain. It'll be fine in a few days."

She laid her head against the back of the sofa. "Hey Luke?" she asked quietly.

"Hmm...?" he answered still focusing on her ankle.

"Sorry that I was such a mess earlier. You probably weren't expecting to walk in on a crying woman."

He looked over at her. "It's okay. Everyone is allowed to let it all out once in awhile."

"I just never expected this to all go wrong. It's not like I thought it would be easy or anything. I just... I don't want to fail," she admitted. "I can't fail. I'll just prove my mother and Chris right.

"You are not going to fail," he reassured her. "You're doing really well here. One bad day means nothing."

"You really think that I can do this?"

"I know you can," he stated with confidence. "You'll be fine. Even when it's hard."

She grinned deviously at him. "Dirty."

"Aww... jeez, Lorelai!" he complained. However, she was laughing. The sparkle had returned to her eyes. He couldn't help but join in her laughter.

_To be continued. Please review! Reviews make me smile._


	8. We Can Make It Work!

_Author's Note: Thanks to those of you who left feedback. It makes me so excited to see your comments waiting in my inbox. And once again, I'd like to thank xphilehb for being such a wonderful beta. This story would not be the same without all of her help and suggestions._

Lorelai sat on a stool in the diner, casually flipping through a magazine. She skimmed a few of the articles, and after finding nothing that interested her, she closed the magazine in a huff and a loud sigh escaped her lips.

"What's with you?" Luke asked as he refilled her coffee mug. "Where's Rory tonight?"

"Chris' parents invited her over for dinner," she told him. "They're having some kind of fancy dinner party, and they must take the opportunity to show off their perfect granddaughter. It's an evening full of stiff clothes, expensive food that tastes like feet, and dull conversation about whose yacht is bigger. These parties are the only time they bother to invite Rory over."

"And Rory wanted to go?"

"You know Rory, she cannot say no to anyone. She's such a good kid; she wouldn't want to disappoint."

Luke nodded in agreement. "She almost agreed to eat some vegetables until _someone_ had to step in."

"I was only looking out for what's best for her," she stated. "I can't have you go and undo all my precious work."

Luke snorted at her comment. She seemed happier now – the weight of whatever had been on her mind had disappeared – but that moment soon passed. Her laughing eyes clouded over. He wanted very much to fix whatever was bothering her. He waited patiently, knowing that she would soon tell him what was on her mind. She always did.

Lorelai closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her forehead with her hand. When she reopened her eyes, her gaze instantly fell on Luke. He was looking at her sympathetically. "How horrible am I that I don't want her to be there?"

"You're not horrible," he assured her.

"They're her grandparents. They have every right to see her. If Rory wants to see them, I have no right to stop her."

"And you didn't stop her," he reminded her. "If you did, she wouldn't be there right now."

"I hate it when I can't spend time with my daughter, and I hate it even more when it's because of them," she stated, anger growing in her voice. "You know, Chris' parents never liked me. I ruined their son's life. They made it seem like he hadn't played a part in me getting pregnant. I was the only one who screwed up. It takes two people to make a baby. Apparently, they missed that day in health class. In sixteen years of marriage, I never heard even one nice comment about me from them."

Luke took a seat next to her, glad that she was opening up to him. "What about your parents? Did they like Chris?"

"I think they like him more than me."

"I'm sure that's not true," he tried to tell her.

"They blame me for the divorce. It doesn't matter that he cheated. In their opinion, I should have stayed to work through this." Lorelai threw her arms up in frustration. "My feelings meant nothing to them. I wanted out. I didn't love him. I couldn't pretend anymore."

Unsure of what to say, Luke gently took her hand in his own. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before he spoke up. "No more pretending. I'm rather fond of the Lorelai that I know. Even though she can't be quiet for more than a minute, eats more food than humanly possible, and likes to see how far she can go when trying to annoy me."

She laughed. "I have a special talent," she teased, before adding in a more serious tone, "I don't have to pretend with you."

"I know." Attempting to lighten the heavy mood that had filled the diner, he offered her a slice of pie.

"Can I have ice cream with it?" she asked, fully aware that she would get her way. Luke could never turn her down. She clapped with delight and grinned like mad as she watched him scoop ice cream onto her slice of pie.

Luke put the dessert in front of her. She began to eat it excitedly, the pie wouldn't last more than a few minutes. Looking for an excuse to have her stay longer, he pulled out a deck of cards. "You up for it?"

She nodded her head enthusiastically, her mouth full of ice cream. Swallowing, she added, "Loser cleans the grease trap."

"When have you ever cleaned the grease trap?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Well, I guess that you better beat me then."

Hours later, the two were still playing cards. Lorelai tried to steal one of Luke's cards, knocking over her beer bottle in the process.

"I think that means that you've had enough," he joked, wiping up the spilled beverage.

"I've only had two," she told him, holding up three fingers. She was hoping to distract him in order to grab his cards. She began to slowly reach across the counter.

He grabbed her hand. "Stop trying to steal my cards."

"But I think that they'll be much happier over here with my cards!" she exclaimed, trying to free herself from his grasp. Grinning, she reached up with her other hand to mess with his hat. He went to stop her, and in the process, he let go of her hand which gave her the opportunity to grab his cards. "Aha!" she cried in triumph.

They were both laughing as he tried to retrieve his cards from her when the bell above the door jingled.

Luke looked up. "Sorry, buddy, we're closed."

"Lorelai," the man said.

She froze. She turned around slowly on her stool. "Christopher..."

"Christopher?" Luke repeated, shock evident in his voice. He immediately stood up straighter and walked around the counter to stand close to Lorelai, feeling the need to protect her however he could.

After a second, Lorelai seemed to regain her bearings. "What are you doing here?" It was apparent to Luke that she was completely shocked, and not at all happy to see Christopher.

"I wanted to talk to you. Can I talk to you?" Chris looked at Luke. "Alone," he added.

"I have nothing to say to you, Christopher," she snapped at him, saying his name through clenched teeth.

"Then, I'll talk. You just have to listen. I screwed up, Lorelai. I really messed things up. I want to make it up to you," he started.

She snorted. "It's a little late for that, Chris. Don't you think?"

"Lorelai, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you go."

"You didn't 'let me go', Chris," she spat. "I left on my own, in case you didn't notice. How the hell did you even find me here?" she asked, her anger and incredulity growing by the second.

"Rory told me that if you weren't home, I could probably find you here, so here I am."

"Rory," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "You're using our daughter now, huh? That's nice, Chris. Real nice."

Chris nodded. "I wasn't using her Lor. I told her that I was going to apologize, that we could work this out, that we could be a family again."

"You had no right to tell her that," Lorelai contended. "It's not true, Chris, and I don't want her believing it. Please leave."

"Not until you hear me out," Chris told her, taking a step closer to Lorelai, who was still seated on a stool.

Luke decided to step in, blocking Christopher's way to Lorelai. "You heard her. Leave."

"This doesn't concern you," Chris argued. "Lorelai..." he began to try again, peeking around Luke's shoulder.

"You're on my property. It does concern me," Luke pointed out, stepping in Christopher's way again. "And Lorelai's well-being concerns me as well."

Chris looked amused. "She sure has you at her fingertips, doesn't she?" Luke looked like he was about to hit him. "Fine, I'll leave. She's nothing but a manipulative bitch," he added before walking out the door.

Luke followed Chris to the door and locked it behind him. He then turned to see Lorelai slumped down on her stool. She placed her head in her hands. Luke could tell that she was struggling not to cry. He sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shaking shoulders. "Don't listen to him," Luke told her, gently cupping her chin and making her look at him. "It's not true."

She was quiet for a few very long minutes, staring at Luke. One could have probably heard a pin drop in the diner. "Luke, you know that you're more to me than just a handyman, right? Besides Rory, you're the best friend I've got."

"You don't even have to tell me that, Lorelai." He pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen into her face. "I know. You tell me everyday." Before she could question him, he continued, "You tell me in the way that you come in here everyday, bringing a smile to my face even if I'm in a terrible mood. You tell me in the way you're willing to talk to me. You tell me through your actions. I never doubt you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Luke."

"Anytime," he said, gently squeezing her knee.

"I better get home. I'm going to have to talk with Rory."

"Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to walk with you?" he questioned.

"No, no. I'm okay. Or at least, I will be. Thanks again, Luke."

"No need to thank me," he told her again, before gently kissing her on the forehead and watching her leave the diner.

"Mom!" Rory called excitedly as she entered the house. "Did Dad come to talk-" She stopped in her tracks when she saw the look on her mother's face.

"Rory, we have to talk." Lorelai's tone left no room for argument, so her daughter nodded and took a seat on the couch. "Regardless of what he told you, your father and I are not getting back together. Don't you ever pull something like that again."

"But he said that he's sorry, and that he's ready-"

"He sure had a great way of showing that," Lorelai interrupted. "Rory, I need you to understand that it is over. We're not ever going to get back together."

"Don't you love him?"

Lorelai took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she thought about her answer. "He gave me you, and for that I will be eternally grateful to him. But no, I don't love him. We're just not good for each other, Rory. He's not good for me, and I'm not good for him, I don't think."

Rory nodded sadly. "Mom, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, honey." Lorelai held open her arms, and Rory collapsed into them. "Your father and I are just two very different people, and I need to move on from that. We don't want the same things out of life, and I'm ready to start living life the way I want to live it. I'm happy here, Rory. And I know that this whole situation sucks for you, but I really think you can be happy here too. I want you to be happy."

"I know you do. And I want you to be happy too, Mom. But, do you think that you'll ever be friends with him? Dad, I mean. Because I would like that."

Lorelai stroked her daughter's back. She didn't know. She didn't know if it was possible, or if it was even something she wanted. But she would try, for Rory. "I hope so, Rory," she told her daughter, barely believing her own words.

_To be continued… Please review! It makes me all happy. And would you all like little previews of the next chapter when I update? I've noticed that some authors write a line or two about what's coming up in their story._


	9. A Very Gilmore Christmas

_Author's Note: I meant to post this earlier, but yesterday was my birthday, so I was a bit distracted. Anyway... you all are the best readers. I love reading your feedback. I really need to start using the reply feature and thank you all individually. I will try harder at that. There really needs to be more hours in a day…_

Lorelai carefully straightened out her assortment of junk food on the coffee table. Over the years, she had perfected a system of how to arrange the snacks. The items she would eat first were positioned so she could reach them easily. Nodding in approval at her work, she sat back on the couch.

The Christmas tree glistened in the corner, an array of gifts scattered under it. She eyed one particular gift – the gift she had bought for Luke. He would be here any minute. Christopher had invited Rory to spend tonight – Christmas Eve – with him, so she had asked Luke to join her for her Christmas movie marathon. It hadn't taken much for her to get him to agree.

A knock sounded on her front door, and Lorelai raced to open it. "Merry Christmas!" she shouted at Luke as she opened the door to let him in.

"Take it down a notch, would you?" he told her in return. "Where should I put these?" he asked, indicating the bags from the diner he was holding.

"You didn't have to bring food. I have plenty," she informed him as she took one of the bags he was holding and walked into the living room.

"Anything that isn't made ninety percent out of sugar?" he questioned, pointing at her coffee table.

She thought for a moment. "Popcorn," she answered proudly, holding the bowl up.

"You're going to eat some real food first," he told her, slipping off his jacket and folding it over the back of the chair. He took a seat on the couch and began to empty the contents of the bags.

She plopped down next to Luke. "By real food you mean...?"

"Burger and fries. I knew that I wouldn't be able to make you eat anything green."

"Green food is strictly forbidden on movie nights, unless it is in the form of some kind of candy."

"I figured," he said, placing a container of fries in front of her. "So what's first?"

"I have the whole night planned out. First, we will watch The Santa Clause. It's a modern classic with Tim Allen as the jolly old fellow. Then, it's time for Miracle on 34th Street – the old one, not the new one. That will take us until the ten o'clock showing of A Christmas Story on TBS," Lorelai told him. "Ralphie, you'll shoot your eye out," she imitated.

"Don't you own the last one?"

"Of course, but we must watch part of the marathon! It's a tradition."

"Of course," he repeated.

Lorelai started the first movie, and the two sat in silence watching and eating. Lorelai polished off her meal from the diner in no time, and she started in on her pile of junk food. After the second film ended, she switched off the DVD player, so they could watch the movie on TV. "Just in time," she said as the opening sequence began.

Luke felt his eyes drifting close somewhere after the second commercial break. He wasn't used to staying up very late, and he had been up since before sunrise. He struggled to keep his attention on the movie, knowing that Lorelai would never let him hear the end of it if he fell asleep. Glancing over at her, he noticed that she had slouched down into the corner of the couch. Deciding that she couldn't see him, he let his eyes close just for a moment. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Luke awoke to what he thought was a car door slamming. Lorelai was asleep beside him. She was curled onto her end of the couch, and her legs had made it into his lap. He looked at the TV and saw that the same film was playing; completely forgetting that it was a marathon. Thinking it couldn't be too late, he stayed where he was until he heard the front door open and close. He nearly jumped a mile when he heard her voice. It was only then that he realized it was light out.

"Mom?" Rory's voice called as she entered the living room. "Luke?" she questioned, seeing him trying to get out from under her mother's legs.

"What?" Lorelai asked groggily, feeling his movement.

"We fell asleep," Luke told her as he stood up. He motioned to the television. "How the hell is this movie still on?"

"It's a twenty-four hour marathon," Rory stated.

Lorelai got up off the couch herself, smoothing her rumpled hair. "What time is it?"

"After ten," Rory responded.

"I should get going," Luke said awkwardly, not quite knowing how to react to spending the night – though it was completely innocent – with Lorelai and having her daughter find them. "I need to start the ham." He grabbed his jacket. "I'll see you both later."

After hearing the door shut behind him, Rory said, "So..."

"So, how was your Christmas with your father?" Lorelai inquired, sitting back on the couch. "Those look like quite some gifts there, kid," she observed, pointing at the bags Rory was holding.

Rory sat next to her mother. "Mom, Luke spent the night."

"On the couch. All we did was sleep, honey. I promise you. Nothing happened. Unless you count the fact that I broke rule number fourteen by falling asleep during a classic." Lorelai patted her daughter's knees. "Now what did you get? Mommy's dying to know."

"Well... Dad got me a laptop! Isn't that awesome?"

Lorelai tried to sound excited. "That is!" She and Chris had agreed for years not to get Rory her own computer until she left for college. Apparently, he didn't feel the need to stick to that agreement anymore. "What else?"

"Some clothes and gift cards to bookstores. I am definitely going to have to go shopping this week."

Lorelai nodded. She looked over at the small pile of gifts she had for Rory. They would be nothing compared to the gifts Rory had received from her father. Knowing that she couldn't very well do anything about it now, Lorelai asked Rory, "You ready for some more gifts?" Rory nodded her head enthusiastically, so Lorelai got up and brought the gifts over from under the tree.

Rory tore into the first package, producing a first edition Jane Austen novel. "Wow. Mom, this is gorgeous. How did you even find this? I can't believe you found this!" She tackled her mother in a hug. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it. I know it's not a computer..."

"This is so much better than a computer," Rory assured her. Seeing her mother's doubtful expression, she continued, "You didn't just buy me some expensive gift; you took the time to buy me something that's me. You know? Does that make sense?"

Lorelai smiled. "It does." She pushed the other packages toward her daughter. "You have to open these."

After she finished with her gifts, Rory grabbed the gift she made for her mother. She handed it to Lorelai. "It's nothing big."

Lorelai quickly unwrapped the gift. It was a scrapbook. On the front, in Rory's perfect handwriting, "A New Beginning" was written under a photo of their new house. Lorelai flipped through the book, seeing various photos of the house, her and Rory, and even a few photos of her and Luke. "Rory, I love it." She embraced her daughter tightly. Lorelai thought she understood the meaning of this gift. Rory was trying to tell her she accepted her decision to move on with life, to be happy. And she even thought Rory might have been trying to tell her she was happy too. "It's the best gift I've ever received."

Rory smiled in response when something caught her gaze. Reaching for a tiny package that was on the floor, she asked, "What's this?"

"I don't know," Lorelai said, taking the gift from her daughter. She read out loud the small card that it was attached to it. "Lorelai, I wanted to get you something for Christmas, but I wasn't sure what. I'm not the best at buying gifts – I haven't had much experience with it. I hope that you like this. Luke."

"That's sweet," Rory told her mother.

Lorelai carefully unwrapped the gift. Opening the box, she saw another note with Luke's handwriting. "This is worth five hours of service. No questions asked," she read. "Dirty," she joked. "This was so nice of him," she added in a more serious tone.

"It is," Rory agreed. She pointed under the tree. "You never gave Luke his present either."

"I'll give it to him when we go to the diner for dinner."

Later, the girls headed over to Luke's for Christmas dinner. Much like on Thanksgiving, they kept Luke entertained by their endless conversation, but somehow, they both still managed to eat more food than anyone else. The meal passed quickly, and before long, the diner had begun to empty out. Lorelai hung around until after everyone else had left so she could give Luke his gift. Even Rory had gone across the town square to visit her new friend Lane and exchange gifts.

Luke was busy clearing the tables when Lorelai interrupted him. "Hey, I never got to thank you for your gift earlier."

He stopped what he was doing. "Yeah?"

"I saw the box on my floor this morning. Thank you, Luke."

"I know it's not much, and that I already help fix things, but you can use it for anything you want, and I won't question it," he paused. "God, help me with what you'll come up with."

"It's perfect, Luke. And very thoughtful of you," she reassured him. "Hmm... I wonder what I should have you do. I'm going to have to put a lot of thought into this. I don't want to waste it by having you do something completely unthought out," she teased. He rolled his eyes at her. She took that moment to pull a gift bag out from under the table she had been seated at. "I never got to give you your gift."

He looked at her, surprised. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to." She held out the bag. "Here."

He took the bag and reached inside. He pulled out a blue baseball cap.

"I know you already have one, but it looks like it should have been buried six feet under years ago," she said.

He smiled at her as he took off his old hat and replaced it with the one she bought him.

"It looks good on you," she told him. "Blue is definitely a good color for you."

"Is that so?"

She nodded fervently. "It brings out your eyes," she replied softly. She found herself being wrapped in his strong arms.

"Merry Christmas, Lorelai."

"Merry Christmas, Luke," she sighed into him. Noticing movement outside the window, she peered outside. She broke the embrace and grabbed Luke's hand, pulling him towards the window. She bounced up and down. "It's snowing!" She looked up at him. "Everything magical happens when it snows." Her gaze returned to the fluffy white flakes that were falling gracefully to the ground.

"Yeah, it does," Luke replied, his eyes never leaving Lorelai.

_To be continued. Please review! I love feedback._

_La prochaine fois: Lorelai receives an unexpected phone call. _


	10. Mussolini Calls

_Author's Note: Thank you once again for all of the wonderful reviews! And I also want to thank my fabulous beta xphilehb. This story would have gone nowhere without her._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": For Christmas, Luke gave Lorelai a gift of 5 hours of service._

"I could use a bookcase," Rory told her mother.

"Got it," Lorelai replied, writing it on her list. She and her daughter were currently planning out how Luke's Christmas gift of service could best be used. Lorelai had already scribbled out a pretty hefty list on her notepad. Looking at her requests, she hoped that Luke wouldn't think she was trying to take advantage of his generous offer. She could always cross things off. This was just a preliminary list, she assured herself.

She was skimming over the list, trying to decide if there was anything she could already take off, when the phone rang. Grabbing the receiver, she answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, Lorelai."

She almost dropped the phone when she heard the voice. "-Mom," she stuttered, shock evident in her voice.

"Is that anyway to greet your mother? You can barely stand to call me mom, and then you cannot even manage to put a 'how are you?' in there?" Emily questioned. "I know you must have some sort of proper etiquette stored somewhere in that mind of yours. Of all the rude-"

Knowing that her mother would never stop, Lorelai interrupted, "Sorry, Mom. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Lorelai. Thanks for asking," Emily said. "And how are you and Rory?"

"Ahh... let's see... Rory got her very first tattoo the other day. I am so proud." Lorelai watched her daughter's eyes grow wide. "And I met someone really nice. His parole will be up in a year!"

"Lorelai, for God's sake!" Emily warned.

"We're both fine, Mom," Lorelai sighed. "Why are you calling?" she asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

"Can't a mother call her daughter to simply check in?" Lorelai snorted. Luckily Emily didn't seem to hear her, for she continued, "What are you and Rory doing on Saturday?"

Lorelai had known her mother had something up her sleeve. "This Saturday?" She looked at Rory, hoping she would offer an excuse. Rory simply shrugged. "We're umm..."

"Wonderful!" Emily exclaimed. "Your father and I would like to come over for dinner. We haven't seen your house yet."

"I don't know, Mom." Lorelai said. "It's not exactly the best-"

Emily didn't pay any mind to her daughter. "We will be there at seven o'clock. Don't even think about pretending you're not home. I will sit on your porch all night if I have to, and then you can explain to your neighbors why there's a frozen corpse outside of your house."

Realizing that she probably couldn't avoid her first encounter after the divorce with her parents for much longer, Lorelai agreed. "Fine, Mom. Seven o'clock."

"We'll see you then."

Lorelai clicked off the phone, and flopped down onto the couch before shouting. "Argh! I cannot believe that woman."

"What's going on?" Rory inquired. "What's at seven o'clock?"

"That's when your grandparents are coming over for dinner on Saturday," Lorelai said to her daughter.

"Dinner? Here? Mom, you can't cook," Rory reminded her mother.

"Crap. I know that. She knows that. It's like she wants to make my life a living hell."

"Mom, I think you're exaggerating just a little."

"Your grandmother will never let me live this down if this evening goes horribly." Lorelai looked at the notepad sitting in her lap. An idea coming to her, she ripped off her list and bunched it up into a ball. "Luke. He can cook us dinner."

Rory thought for a moment. "That just might work," she said in agreement.

Luke knew that he was in some kind of trouble the moment Lorelai rushed through the diner door. She wore her look of determination, and she didn't appear to be heading anywhere other than straight towards him. He grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee as she arrived at the counter. If there was any way to distract Lorelai, it was with coffee.

However, this time she ignored the steaming cup before her. "Luke." He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She held a piece of paper out to him. It was the paper on which he'd written the gift of service. "I'm ready to redeem some of this time."

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. He had been trying to fathom what kind of news Lorelai had for him that was so bad as to keep her from drinking coffee. So he certainly was not expecting her to tell him she was ready to collect her gift. She probably just needed him to fix something for her. "What can I do for you?"

"Can you cook?" she asked.

"Lorelai, you're standing in my diner," he pointed out.

"No, I mean, can you cook non-diner food? Like something kind of fancy?" she questioned again.

He nodded. "Why?"

"Benito and Donna Rachele Mussolini, a.k.a. Richard and Emily, are coming to dinner at my house."

"I can't believe you'd compare your own father to Mussolini."

"Oh, I'm not," she told him. "Emily is more like Benito than my father is." He was looking at her like she was crazy. Did I mention that this dinner was her idea? She invited herself and my father over. Because believe me, mister, this is not my idea of a good time. I think it's safe to say that dinner with the actual Mussolini would be less uncomfortable than this dinner with my mother is bound to be. So... what do you say? Can you help me out?"

"You want me to cook dinner for your parents?"

Lorelai nodded eagerly. "And for me and Rory. You know, I can't cook, Luke. Remember the other day, when you had to come over, because I couldn't make my toaster stop smoking? And I was only trying to cook a pop-tart then! I really don't want to give Emily another thing to add onto her list of my disappointments. Believe me, it's long enough."

"I'll take care of it," he assured her. "When's the dinner?"

"This Saturday at seven o'clock," she informed him, a bright smile beginning to grace her face. "So you'll do it?"

"I'll come over Saturday after the lunch rush."

She leaned over the counter and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, causing Luke to blush. "Thanks, Luke."

"Yeah. Well, I did say unquestioned service," Luke said, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. "Just sticking to that promise," he reminded her.

"I have a feeling that you would have helped me no matter what. You're not very good at saying 'no' to me, Luke," she teased, playfully swatting his arm.

"Just do me one favor?"

"Is it dirty?" she questioned, eliciting an eye roll from Luke.

"Make sure that there are no articles of clothing-" Luke began.

"Ooh! It is dirty!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"In the oven," he finished.

"I like warm socks!" she tried to justify. "The oven makes them feel nice and toasty."

"An oven is for cooking food, not your socks," Luke stated, disgust written on his face.

"Fine," she conceded. "My footsies will just have to go cold for a day." She finally took a sip from the coffee Luke had poured for her. "You know, I'm kind of hungry right now..." Lorelai pouted.

"Your usual?" Luke asked. She nodded consensus, before he walked into the kitchen. He was already trying to plan out what he wanted to make Saturday night for dinner. He wanted Lorelai to be able to impress her parents with a delicious meal, and he could help her accomplish that.

_To be continued. I promise to update again in the next few days. Yay Spring Break! I really really love reviews! And I changed it so you can leave anonymous reviews. I had no idea that the default setting forbade it._

_La prochaine fois: Dinner with the elder Gilmores!_


	11. Lamb Stew is Perfect for Finger Pointing

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! You are all awesome readers. So here, as promised, is the next part!_

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Emily invites herself and Richard over for dinner so Lorelai enlists Luke's help._

"Luke-y!" Lorelai greeted as she opened the door to Luke.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" he questioned, carefully trying to balance all the bags he was holding. "Can you give me a hand?"

She took one of the bags from his grasp. "I know that Rory and I eat a lot, but even this seems like too much food," she observed. "While Emily and Richard may seem like the generals of a small army, you will not actually be cooking for one."

Luke followed Lorelai into her kitchen. "You and Rory can eat enough food for a small army," he stated. "It's not all food. I brought some cooking utensils as well," he explained.

"I have cooking utensils," she claimed.

"Do you have a spatula?" Luke inquired.

"A what?" she asked. "Okay, you win. But I do have some pots and pans!" she defended. "You've seen them!"

"I know… except they're not normally used for musical instruments. My ears are still aching from that concert last week when you and Rory decided that you were going to tryout to be the next Beagles."

"Bangles," she corrected him. "And Rory and I have some God-given talent. Don't you ever forget that."

"Talent to make my ears bleed," he grumbled, but his eyes were smiling at her. Luke had never been so entertained before; Lorelai was constantly surprising him with the crazy ideas she came up with.

She watched as he began unpacking the contents of the bags he had brought. She hopped up on the kitchen counter. "What are you making?" she asked.

"Lamb-and-artichoke stew, penne with pesto and potatoes, roasted garlic with rosemary focaccia, tomatoes stuffed with breadcrumbs and goat cheese, and cheesecake for dessert," he told her. When he didn't hear her respond, he turned to face her. Her mouth was open, gaping at him. "What?"

She shook herself out of a daze. "That sounds amazing. When I asked if you could cook something fancy, I had no idea you could make something like that."

He shrugged. "It's nothing."

"No, Luke. It's not nothing. You're always so great to me... and Rory."

He gave her a smile, his cheeks reddening a bit. "You're my friend," he said simply after a moment.

Lorelai sat on the counter for a long time, watching Luke as he stood over her stove. Despite working at the diner, she had rarely had the chance to watch him cook. She noticed a certain confidence in his movements; they were smooth, sure, and perfect.

She was unaware that she had been swinging her legs and banging her heels against the cabinet while watching Luke until she felt his hands on her thighs. She abruptly stopped her legs and looked at him standing directly in front of her. "Sorry," she offered in an almost whisper, suddenly conscious of how close Luke was to her.

As if realizing this himself, Luke quickly removed his hands and took a step back. "Dinner's almost done."

"Right," Lorelai said, sliding off the counter. "I should probably go get ready."

He nodded. "What time is Rory coming home?"

"She should be home any minute. Paris probably wouldn't let her leave their study session until everything was perfect," Lorelai answered before heading up the stairs to change into something a little more 'Emily' appropriate.

Luke was putting the final products of his cooking on the table when he heard a knock at the front door. Walking out of the kitchen, he called up the stairs, "Lorelai, I think your parents are here."

"Crap!" he heard her yell. "I'm almost ready. Where's Rory?"

"I don't know," he answered. There was another, more impatient knock on the door. "Lorelai!" he called again. "Something tells me that your parents are not going to like waiting out on your front porch."

"Can you answer it?"

"I was supposed to be gone by the time they got here!"

"Pleaaaaaase, Luke?" she yelled down in the most convincing voice she could muster.

He sighed. "Fine."

"Thank you!" she hollered. "And I apologize in advance for anything they say to you."

Luke walked over to her front door and pulled it open to Lorelai's impeccably dressed parents. Her mother was impatiently tapping her foot in a pair of shoes that were no doubt more expensive than Luke's entire wardrobe.

"It's about time. You're supposed to answer on the first-" Emily started, but she stopped when she saw that Luke was the one standing in the doorway. "I cannot believe her! The nerve! Giving us the wrong address!"

"Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said, stopping Emily's rant. "You have the right address." He held the door open wide. "Please, come in." The two elder Gilmores followed Luke into the house to the living room. "Lorelai should be right down."

Emily looked at him pointedly. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my daughter's house?"

Luke shifted uncomfortably. "I... umm..."

Lorelai came bounding down the stairs. "Mom, Dad," she greeted.

"Hello, Lorelai" her father replied.

"Lorelai, who is this man?" her mother asked her, pointing at Luke.

"Nice to see you too," Lorelai answered. "Luke was just giving me a hand with dinner." She turned to face him. "Thanks, Luke. I can take it from here."

He looked relieved. "I should probably be getting back to the diner," he stated. "Dessert is in the fridge, along with some strawberries and whipped cream," he briefly told Lorelai before saying goodbye. "I'll see you later. It was nice meeting you," he directed at her parents before quickly heading towards the door.

"Hey Luke," they heard Rory say as Luke was opening the door. They heard his muffled greeting before the door shut behind him.

"Sorry, I'm late," Rory apologized, entering the living room. She gave each of her grandparents a quick hug. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, it is. Everything's ready in the kitchen," Lorelai said, leading them all into her tiny kitchen. "Please take a seat."

"This dinner smells delicious," Richard noted.

"Luke really outdid himself this time, Mom," Rory agreed with her grandfather.

"Lorelai, how do you know that unkempt man?" Emily inquired, not ready to let the subject drop.

"Luke, Mom. His name is Luke," Lorelai answered through clenched teeth, taking a bite of the delicious food Luke had prepared. "He's a friend."

"Sure, he's just a friend," her mother said in an accusing tone.

"Mom! He is!" Lorelai tried to assure her. "He was just helping me out. I didn't think you'd want takeout for dinner," she noted. "And it'd be none of your business if he was more than a friend," she muttered under her breath.

"Of course, it would be!" Emily exclaimed.

"Emily," Richard tried to reason.

"Richard! Don't say my name like I am two years old. I have a right to know what is going on in my daughter's life, especially if it will affect my granddaughter," Emily pointed out. "You are not to see that man, Lorelai."

"I'm not ten years old, Mom. You cannot tell me who I can and cannot date. You just got upset with Dad for speaking to you like a child, yet here you are trying to control my life," Lorelai declared.

"You should be with Christopher," Emily said matter-of-factly.

"No, I shouldn't."

"He's your husband, Lorelai."

"Not anymore."

"Because you didn't want to make it work."

"He cheated!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"You still could have tried. But no, you had to give up at the first sign of trouble. Didn't you?" Emily blamed her.

"It wasn't the first time! I was never happy with Chris!"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you were a family!" Emily shouted. "_You _broke up a family."

"_I_ broke up a family!" Lorelai cried. "How can you even say that to me?"

"And now, you're tramping around with some lumberjack!" Emily accused.

"So basically, you're calling me a whore?" Lorelai questioned.

"Lorelai, don't use that kind of language with your mother," Richard warned.

"She's the one accusing me of 'tramping around'!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"What's that saying?" Emily asked. "If the shoe fits, wear it," she said sharply.

Lorelai slammed her fork down. "Fine. I'm going to go put on my tramp shoes right now. I guess that I need to make some money somehow, don't I?" She stood up from the table, shooting a remorseful look at her daughter. "Even though Luke isn't expecting me to work tonight, that's where I'll be." She gave Rory a quick kiss on the cheek. "Call me if you need anything."

"You work for him?" Emily questioned, saying the word 'him' like it was filth.

"Well, some whores do get paid for their services," Lorelai spat at her mother. "I'll see you later," she said to Rory before grabbing her apron and keys and heading out the door, not even acknowledging Emily on her way out.

"That was rude," Emily stated after hearing Lorelai slam the door behind her.

"Rude?" Rory asked in disbelief. "You just said some horrible things to Mom."

"Rory!" Emily exclaimed.

"I'm not defending the things she said to you either, but you could have been nicer. Mom has been working so hard to provide all of this for the two of us," Rory said, motioning to the house around them. "She works fulltime at the Independence Inn as their event coordinator, and she also works several days a week at Luke's Diner. It doesn't matter to her if she has no time for herself."

"She works at a diner?" Emily questioned, her voice full of disdain. "For that man."

"Luke's been really nice to us, Grandma, and you just treated him and Mom like they were dirt," Rory pointed out. "She wasn't lying to you. They are just friends."

"I'm sorry," Emily admitted softly to her granddaughter, her face falling slightly. "I'd understand if you'd like us to leave."

Richard moved to stand. "We should probably get going."

Rory took a deep breath and shook her head. "No. Stay and eat. Luke went to too much trouble to let all of this food go to waste."

Emily picked up her fork and finally tried a bite of Luke's cooking. "This is pretty good."

Rory nodded. "Luke's an amazing cook. He's never made anything like this for us before though." She took a bite. "Mmm..."

"So Luke's a good man?" Emily inquired.

"He is," Rory responded, holding up her fork with a piece of lamb on it. "And he keeps us fed."

"Yes, well. That certainly explains a lot," Emily said before rather heartily digging into Luke's food herself.

_To be continued. Please review! I love feedback! Also? I think this might have been my favorite part to write so far. I hadn't intended to have such a huge fight when I first started writing it, but my thoughts kind of ran away from me. I really liked the result, and I hope that you did too._

_La prochaine fois: Lorelai is upset over the dinner, and there's only one person who she'd turn to._


	12. Lorelai's Knight in Shining Armor

_Author's Note: First off, I want to thank my wonderful beta xphilehb. Her suggestions have made this story so much better!_

_Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback on the last chapter. I'm glad that you all liked it as much as I did. I hope that you enjoy this part as well!_

_Previously in 'A New Beginning': Dinner with Emily and Richard did not go very well, and Lorelai stormed out._

Luke stood behind the counter going through some of the day's receipts. A few customers were finishing up the last of their meals. He was in no rush for them to leave. He assumed Lorelai would stop by after her dinner, so he didn't mind having the few straggling customers here. When he heard the bell above the door jingle, he was surprised to look up and see Lorelai entering the diner. Knowing that dinner couldn't possibly be over already, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that I'd work for a bit. Unless you mind..." she trailed off, slipping her apron over her head.

"I don't mind." He watched as she struggled with her apron. Her shaking fingers were frantically trying to tie the strings. "Lorelai?"

"Damn apron!" Lorelai shouted, barely aware that Luke had said something to her. Her fingers wouldn't stop trembling long enough for her to secure her apron in place. She felt Luke's fingers encircle her wrists and gently pull her hands away from her apron's strings. She couldn't look him in the eye.

"You're freezing," Luke noted, bending his knees to try and see her face. Her skin was as cold as ice to his touch.

"I forgot to grab a jacket," she responded. She glanced up at him before quickly looking away. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Even though her look had been brief, Luke had caught sight of the unshed tears in her eyes. He gave a look to the remaining customers who had stopped eating to stare at the scene before them, informing them to leave. His eyes held no argument. It was get out, or be thrown out. Once the last customer was out the door, Luke gently drew Lorelai to him. He fitted her tightly against his body. He began to lightly stroke her back as she clung to him. He felt her whole body quiver as she released her tears. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

"I always promise myself that I won't let her get to me, but then, I let her," she responded in a muffled voice. Wrapped in his warm embrace, Lorelai suddenly became aware of how cold she had been. She shivered involuntarily and tried to get closer to Luke. She felt his one hand soothingly running up and down her back while his other held her strongly against him.

When she had finally managed to calm down, she pulled back slightly to look up at him. He gave her a small smile which she returned. "Sorry," she said, pointing to the wet marks on his flannel.

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lorelai shrugged, but she allowed Luke to lead her over to a chair. She took a seat and watched as he closed the blinds, then he pulled another chair close to her. After he took a seat, he once again took her hands into his own. He lightly rubbed circles with his thumbs on the backs of her hands. She stared at his movements for a few moments before saying anything. "Emily," she said, her voice raspy from crying.

"What did she do?" Luke asked.

"What she usually does," Lorelai answered. "Pretty much everything that went wrong between Chris and I is my fault. I broke up a family. I'm the one who couldn't make it work."

"That's crazy," he pointed out. "You know that's not true." He could tell that wasn't all. She was still keeping something from him. "Lorelai," he began softly, "What else happened?"

Lorelai clenched her eyes shut for a moment, her mother's words circling in her mind. Opening her eyes, she focused on a spot somewhere off behind Luke. "She basically called me a whore," she whispered, barely audible.

He felt anger boiling in his stomach. That vile word was never meant to be spoken to this beautiful woman before him. But he had to remain calm for Lorelai; he needed to be her pillar right now. "Why would she call you that?" he questioned, trying to keep his anger out of his voice. One look at the expression on her face, and he knew. "Oh."

"I tried to explain to her that we're friends, but she didn't believe me. She wouldn't believe me," she told him.

"I shouldn't have been there."

She shook her head, "No, Luke. Do not blame yourself for this. I sure as hell don't, or I wouldn't be here right now. This is my fault. I brought this on myself."

Luke tenderly placed his hand under her chin and turned her face so she was looking directly at him. Her gaze, however, was still focused on some unseen object. "Lorelai, look at me," he commanded gently. Her gaze finally met his own. "You are not what your mother called you, Lorelai. You are a strong, beautiful woman who is capable of doing anything. The mere fact that you found the courage to leave Christopher, come here and work so damn hard to provide a good life for Rory proves that. And you are, Lorelai... giving her a good life." He leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly against her forehead. "You're many things, but a whore is not one of them."

Lorelai felt herself blush. Out of all the wonderful things he'd just said to her, there was one thing that stuck out to her in particular. And being Lorelai, she just had to tease him about it. "You think that I'm beautiful?" she questioned.

It was his turn to redden a bit. "Well, you know..." He watched as a smile danced across her features. Now that he had her feeling better, he did not want to see her go. "Do you want a beer or something?"

"Alcohol would be so nice right now," she replied.

"Come on," he said, pulling her up from her chair with their still joined hands.

After turning out the diner lights, Luke headed for the stairs with Lorelai close at his heels. Once in his apartment, he quickly grabbed two beers for them from the couch. He then joined Lorelai on his couch, and the two spent the rest of the night talking and laughing over their drinks. Lorelai's sour mood was long gone by the time she fell asleep on Luke's couch.

Lorelai awoke sometime later, her head pounding from the large amount of alcohol she had consumed. She groaned as she sat up in Luke's bed. He must have carried her there after she had fallen asleep. Or had she walked there herself? She couldn't remember. She saw Luke soundly sleeping across the small apartment on the couch.

A quick glance at the clock told her it was the middle of the night. Panic arose in her stomach. Rory. Rory must be worried sick. She stumbled out of bed, ignoring her throbbing head, and grabbed Luke's phone. She quickly dialed the number to her house.

"Mom!" Rory screeched into the phone when she answered.

Lorelai flinched at the high pitched voice. "It's me," she answered groggily.

"Where are you? I've been worried. What with how you stormed out of dinner like that."

"I'm at Luke's," Lorelai whispered to her daughter, glancing at Luke to make sure she hadn't woken him up.

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. Rory finally spoke. "You're at Luke's," she repeated.

Knowing what her daughter was probably thinking, Lorelai quickly tried to explain things. "I was upset. And there may have been a lot of alcohol involved. Somewhere during that time, I fell asleep. I am so sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay, Mom," Rory assured her. "Are you coming home?"

"Yeah. Sure. Just as soon as the room stops spinning long enough for me to see straight. I feel like I'm on an endless ride of the Tilt-a-Whirl."

"Why don't you just stay there? I'll meet you at the diner tomorrow morning for breakfast."

"I love you, kid," Lorelai told her daughter.

"Get some sleep," Rory replied to her mother before hanging up.

Lorelai replaced Luke's phone and shuffled back over to the bed. She looked down at her slightly wrinkled dress clothes. Not wanting to ruin them anymore, she grabbed one of Luke's flannel shirts that was hanging on his closet door. Careful not to wake Luke, she hurriedly changed out of her clothes and into his shirt.

She fiddled with the cuff of the sleeve as she climbed back into his bed. The shirt smelled like the diner, like coffee, like Luke. Pulling the covers up around her, she breathed in deeply, letting the safety she felt lull her back to sleep.

Lorelai woke up once again, this time to the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen. She grinned as she climbed out of bed. He was making her breakfast. She saw him standing in front of the stove, his back facing her. "Good morning," she greeted.

He turned to face her. He was surprised to find her standing there wearing one of his shirts. Suddenly the scene was domestic to the point of bordering on uncomfortable for him. Not because he didn't like it, but because he found himself liking the thought a little too much. "Morning," he stuttered, temporarily stuffing his train of thought. "I figured you'd be hungry." He pointed to the plate of pancakes already waiting for her on the table.

"Hangover food," she observed. "You are awesome, my friend."

"That's not all." He produced a cup of steaming hot coffee and held it out to Lorelai.

She gratefully took the mug from him before taking a seat at the table. "Awesome doesn't even begin to describe..." She took a sip of the dark liquid. "Mmm..."

He placed the plate of cooked bacon in front of her. "I have to get downstairs," he told her.

Lorelai nodded. "Oh! Rory should be coming to the diner."

"I'll send her up," he assured her, making his way towards the door.

"Luke!" she called out, stopping him. He turned back to face her. "Thank you," she paused, "For everything," she emphasized.

He gave her a soft smile and nod before leaving the apartment.

_To be continued. Please review! I adore feedback._

_La prochaine fois: Luke opens up._


	13. Under That Hat of His

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews for the last part. You all rock!_

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai continued to grow closer with Luke comforting Lorelai after the disastrous dinner with her parents._

Lorelai lowered herself onto a stool and rested her forehead against the cool counter. "Tonight was a long night," she muttered. "I didn't think it was ever going to end."

Luke cleared off the last of the tables. "Where did all of those lunatics come from?" he asked as he carried the plates into the kitchen. "They didn't even order normal things. They even made Kirk's orders look normal. Damn tourists."

"Maybe it was a Kirk family reunion," she suggested without lifting her head.

He groaned. "I don't even want to think about what that would be like." He walked over to the diner door and locked it. Turning around, Luke was surveying the empty diner, mentally listing the many tasks he had to perform, when his eyes landed on Lorelai's hunched over form. She looked exhausted.

"I'll be moving. Any minute now," she paused. "Am I moving yet?" she whimpered. "Can we get Mary Poppins in here to clean up the diner with the snap of her fingers?"

"Mary who?" he asked.

"Honestly, Luke, have you ever seen a movie?" she questioned right back. She finally lifted her head up off the counter. "Okay, what should we do first?" she asked, turning to face him.

Seeing her weary face, Luke was struck with another idea altogether. An idea that would give Lorelai a chance to rest, and him some time to just hang out with her. Luke knew it was so unlike himself to be spontaneous, but there were many facets to his personality that he didn't know existed until he met Lorelai. Her spontaneity made him want to be spontaneous on occasion. And if nothing else, he just really liked spending one-on-one time with her. "You want a beer? I can just clean up tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure?" Lorelai was surprised. Luke never left the diner at night without making sure everything was ready for the next day.

"Positive," he answered. "Let's go upstairs."

"Why Luke, usually one takes a girl out on a date first," Lorelai cooed. "But I guess that I can make an exception just this once-"

"Aww... jeez, Lorelai," he interrupted her. "You're never too tired to make jokes, are you?"

"Nope," she responded. Lorelai watched as he turned off the diner lights, and then she followed him upstairs to his apartment. After untying her apron and throwing it over a kitchen chair, she made her way over to the couch and flopped down on it. She took off her shoes and began to massage her aching feet.

Luke took a seat next to her and handed her one of the two beers he was carrying. "There's a reason why you shouldn't wear heels to work." He nodded at her foot.

She glared at him. "I came straight from the Inn, and I didn't think we'd be this busy. I've worn these shoes here before," she told him.

Luke took a sip of his beer before placing it on the coffee table. "Here," he said, reaching down and pulling Lorelai's feet into his lap. He gently began to massage them, then seemed to think twice and paused. "Is this okay? Me rubbing your feet?"

"Mmm..." she sighed. "That feels so good." Luke took this as a 'yes'. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Lorelai spoke up. "Hey, Luke?" she asked, picking at the label of her beer bottle.

"Yeah?" he inquired, looking over at her.

"Never mind," she answered, focusing intently on the bottle's label.

"What is it?" he coaxed.

"How come you never talk about your family? I mean, you've mentioned your sister a few times, but what about your parents?" She quickly added, "I know, it's none of my business. Forget about it."

He shrugged. "I just don't talk about them very often. I'm not very good at sharing personal stuff like that," he stated. "Or comfortable with it."

She nodded. "I understand," she assured Luke, offering him a small smile. And she did. For all her chattiness, Lorelai rarely shared private details without first being prodded by someone she trusted. Someone like Luke. Typically, she hid behind a wall of humor.

They sat quietly for a few more minutes. This time, it was Luke who broke the silence. "My mother passed away when I was still a child." Lorelai remained silent, letting him continue on his terms. "My dad took it pretty hard. He was lost without her. He couldn't even find the coupon drawer." Luke laughed. "Turns out she kept the coupons in a coffee can."

"Did she teach you to cook?" Lorelai questioned, finally setting her beer bottle down.

Luke looked over at Lorelai. "She did. We spent every Sunday morning together making breakfast." He smiled at the memory. "I would look forward to that day the whole week. And then one week, she was gone..." he trailed off.

Lorelai scooted closer to him so she could rest her head against his shoulder, her legs still draped over his lap. "I owe her a lot. You make an amazing breakfast," she told him quietly. "Is she why you decided to open a diner?"

He shook his head. "The diner used to be a hardware store, my father's hardware store. When he passed away, I couldn't bear to sell it, but I didn't know anything about the hardware business. I can fix things, but I didn't really care much about selling tools. But I could cook."

"So you turned your father's store into the diner?"

"That's what I did. I didn't even take his old sign down out front."

"I've noticed."

"Taylor is constantly trying to get me to remove it, because he thinks that it confuses the customers."

"People seem to have figured out that it's a diner," Lorelai stated. "Screw Taylor." She sought out his hand with her own. Finding it, she entwined her fingers with his. "I wish that I could have met your parents."

He squeezed her hand. "Me too. They would have loved you."

"You think so?"

"I know so. My dad would have joined in on your dirty jokes, and my mom would have treated you like her own daughter."

"It sounds like you were all so close," Lorelai observed. "I wish that I had that."

"We were, and we weren't. We had our rough patches, especially me and my father, but I respected him more than anyone. I don't do too well around the anniversary of his death. The town refers to the day, November 30, as my "Dark Day". I go out of town for the day. Alone," he explained.

"That makes sense. It's good to kind of just go away to think about things," she noted.

Luke looked at Lorelai, his best friend, and had to smile. She was snuggled against him, a silent gesture of comfort. And he definitely found it comforting. Having a best friend was a new experience for Luke. He wasn't used to having someone to open up to, let alone someone he wanted to share these kinds of things with. And again, he was struck with the desire to continue these good feelings, to be spontaneous. "Maybe this year, I won't have to be alone. You could come with me. I could tell you some great stories about my father. I know it's a long way's off, but-"

"Luke," she cut him off. "I'd love to."

"And you do have that," he stated.

"Have what?"

"That closeness. With Rory," he clarified.

"I do. I'm lucky to have her." She placed a light kiss on his cheek. "And you," she added softly. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

He wrapped his arm around her. "It actually felt good to talk about them. I can't even remember the last time."

"I'd like it if you'd tell me some more about them," Lorelai said.

"You would?" he asked, a bit surprised. Not that he thought she didn't care, but he hadn't expected that she would be so interested in his past. He didn't lead a very interesting life, but here was Lorelai, looking up at him with eager eyes like he was the most fascinating person in the world.

"Of course, I would. Now, tell me one of those stories you said you had about your father," she requested.

As he spoke, he watched as Lorelai listened intently. With each passing moment, the words began to flow more freely. He hadn't been this comfortable and open with someone for as long as he could remember.

_To be continued. Please review! I know this part was a bit short, but I think the next one will be a bit longer._

_La prochaine fois: It's Valentine's Day in the Hollow._


	14. Valentine's Day in the Hollow

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. I also want to thank xphilehb for being an amazing beta._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai continued to grow closer with Luke opening up a little bit about his childhood._

Lorelai leaned back against the diner counter. "No one's here," she complained.

Luke nodded towards the Town Square. "Everyone's at that stupid festival. What a waste of money."

"I think it's nice," Lorelai informed him. She walked over to the window and looked out. "This town sure knows how to throw a party." She watched as a couple walked past the diner holding hands. She frowned. "I hate Valentine's Day."

He came up beside her. "It's just like any other day if you ask me."

"Not if you have someone," she stated. "Then... it's perfect. Well, unless your husband decides that will be the night he stays late at the office."

"He wasn't big on Valentine's Day?" Luke asked.

"Oh, I think he was… just not with me..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. But, I just think the whole concept is nice. You know, having someone show you how much they love you. What's so wrong with that?"

"Nothing." Luke shrugged. "Just... if I was in love, I'd want to show her more than one day a year," he added quietly. He glanced over at Lorelai who appeared to be deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her. He watched as a small smile graced her lips

She turned to face him. "You, actually." Before he could reply, she continued, "We should go out. To the festival, I mean," she quickly corrected herself. "It could be fun. At least we'll have Miss Patty's punch to keep us company."

"That stuff is nine parts alcohol, one part punch. I'm surprised it hasn't killed anyone yet," Luke said. "Where's Rory tonight? Maybe she can play with you."

"She's busy," Lorelai informed him. "Lane has a date for Valentine's Day."

"I don't see how that has anything to do with Rory."

"Well, there are secret codes and meeting places involved. And a whole lot of other things that I wouldn't let Rory tell me, because as much as Mrs. Kim scares me, I cannot break the 'Mom Code'."

"The what-" Luke started before thinking better of it. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

"Rory can't play with me tonight." Lorelai looked at him with a hopeful expression. "So are we going?"

"I don't know, Lorelai. The diner's still open..."

"So close it. You said yourself that everyone is at the festival." She gave him her signature pout. "C'mon, Luke," she whined.

He sighed. "Fine."

She jumped up and down. "Eee!" She grabbed his hand. "Let's go," she said, tugging on his arm, trying to pull him out the door.

"Jeez, Lorelai, it's not going to go anywhere. And I'm not drinking any of that punch," he informed her as he followed her outside.

"We'll see about that."

About an hour later, Luke and Lorelai found themselves at the bridge overlooking the icy blue water of the pond. The festival had been fun at first – Lorelai had convinced Luke to win her a stuffed cupid doll, but then, a very drunk Missy Patty and Babbette had taken to questioning Luke and Lorelai about their relationship – throwing questions and comments at them about spending Valentine's Day together. Looking for an escape, they quickly headed towards the first deserted place they could find.

Lorelai sat down on the cool wood, letting her legs dangle off the edge. She patted the spot next to her, inviting Luke to join her. He quickly took a seat beside her. She held out the cotton candy that she had been carrying to him. "Do you want some?" she offered.

"That stuff is pure sugar. It'll rot your insides out faster than that damn punch," he said with a look of disgust.

She shrugged, taking a bite herself. "But it's yummy." They sat silently for a few minutes as Lorelai finished up her cotton candy. "So..." she began.

"What?" Luke questioned.

"Patty and Babbette."

"What about them?" he asked. She gave him a pointed look and motioned between the two of them. "Oh. Their questions... They were drunk, Lorelai. Don't worry about it. Last year, they tried to set Kirk up with Taylor." This elicited a laugh from Lorelai, so he continued, "They even tried to put some makeup on Kirk to make him more attractive."

"Kirk just let them do that?"

He shrugged. "It's Kirk. They told him they would make him pretty, and he agreed."

"Poor Kirk. Did it work?" she asked through her laughter.

"He sure as hell made one ugly woman." Luke said, laughing with her. "Taylor was drunk enough that he almost kissed Kirk, but he must have had one drink too many, because he ended up falling over right where he stood, and he fell right to sleep."

"I would have paid to see that." Lorelai shivered. The cold from the wood was slowing seeping through her body.

"It was pretty funny," he admitted. Wrapping his arm around Lorelai's body, he pulled her against him. "You're cold. We should get going."

"Okay," she slowly agreed, but her mind was still preoccupied with what Miss Patty and Babbette had said.

Keeping his arm around her, Luke helped Lorelai to her feet. "You okay?" he asked her, noticing how distracted she seemed.

"What? Oh, I'm fine. Just cold," she assured him. "The warm buzz from the punch is starting to wear off. Told you I should have had one more," she stated, giving him a playful shove.

He pulled her tightly against him. "C'mon. Let's get you home. I'll build you a fire to warm you up."

"Luke make fire to prove he man," Lorelai grunted in her best caveman impersonation.

"Everything can be made into a joke with you, can't it?" Luke questioned.

"You better believe it, buddy," she responded, leaning into him as he began to lead them to her house.

"Rory?" Lorelai called as she and Luke entered her house. Receiving no answer, she said, "She must still be with Lane." She took off her jacket and shivered. "God, it was cold outside. Hmm... I know. Do you want some hot chocolate?" she offered.

Luke nodded, taking off his own jacket. "I'm going to start that fire," he told her, heading towards the fireplace.

A few minutes later, Luke had a decent size fire going. He turned away from the fireplace to see Lorelai returning to the room, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.

"It feels good in here," Lorelai observed, handing him a mug before taking a seat on the couch. Luke joined her, sitting as close as he could to Lorelai, allowing her to snuggle up next him. She took a sip of her cocoa. "This is nice," she commented.

He slipped his arm around her. "It is," he agreed.

"I think this is the best Valentine's Day I have ever had," she told him.

Before Luke could respond, they heard Rory enter the house. "Mom, I'm home," she called. The two quickly scrambled out of their positions on the couch.

They were both standing up when Rory entered the room. "Hey, Mom. Hi, Luke," she greeted them.

"Hey, Rory," Luke said. He turned to Lorelai. "I should probably get going," he stated, shifting awkwardly. Though he had done nothing wrong, he felt like he had almost been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

"Okay," Lorelai replied. "I'll walk you out," she said, following him towards the door. She watched him open the door to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He paused in the doorway. Stepping back towards her, he whispered, "Me too, Lorelai." He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before walking out the door.

She knew exactly what he had been referring to; it was his best Valentine's Day as well. She smiled to herself as she closed the door. She walked back into the living room where Rory was seated on the couch, sipping at her mother's hot chocolate.

Rory looked up at her mother as she sat next to her on the couch. "Did I interrupt something?"

"What? No," Lorelai quickly answered her daughter.

"It seemed like Luke couldn't get out of here fast enough," Rory pointed out. "Were you two...?" she trailed off, knowing that her mother understood what she was insinuating.

"No. Nothing like that, Rory. He just had to leave. He was getting up to leave when you walked in. Early delivery," she covered.

"Oh. Okay."

"Now, tell me about Lane's date," Lorelai requested. Rory seemed to have bought her excuse. Why didn't Lorelai just tell her what had really happened? Nothing happened that shouldn't have. Lorelai couldn't sort out her own thoughts, so she pushed them out of her mind as she listened to her daughter talk about her best friend's secret Valentine's date.

_To be continued. Please review! Reviews bring a smile to my face._

_La prochaine fois: Rory's staying with Christopher for the weekend..._


	15. We're Off to See the Wizard

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the amazing feedback! You all are so awesome._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai spent Valentine's Day together._

Luke watched as Lorelai took another sip of her coffee. She had been sitting at the counter all evening. Rory was spending the weekend with her father. He knew that Lorelai wasn't too thrilled about it as evidenced by the three pieces of pie she had already eaten. She was pushing around the remnants of her last piece's crust with her fork when Luke finally stopped her. Taking away her fork, he told her, "Okay, this is just pathetic."

"Gee, thanks, Luke. You sure know how to make a girl feel all warm inside," Lorelai mumbled. "I'll just leave if I'm bugging you that much." She stood to leave.

He stopped her. "No, I didn't mean that."

She looked up at him. "Then, what did you mean?" she asked pointedly. "That I'm just one step away from knitting tea cozies?"

"I meant that just because Rory isn't home doesn't mean that you shouldn't be having any fun," he clarified.

"What should I be doing?" she inquired, her voice softening.

He flipped over the closed sign on the door. "C'mon, grab your jacket," he stated, grabbing his own jacket from where he had left it in the kitchen. "I'm not going to watch you sit around here and eat five more slices of pie. I don't own a forklift to get you out of here."

Obliging, she slipped into her jacket. "Where are we going?" she asked, following him out of the diner. "Oh! Are we going to go cow tipping? Because if we are, I have to go home and change my shoes. These shoes do not condone such an activity."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Where do you even come up with that stuff?"

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned mischievously. "I'm not going to tell. A girl never tells her secrets. It keeps her a mystery."

"Yeah, a mystery as to why the men with the white jackets have yet to come for her."

"Well, where are we going then?" she whined. "Why won't you tell me?"

"You haven't given me a chance to tell you!" he pointed out. "I thought we could go see whatever movie is playing at that damn bookstore."

"You mean Black and White and Read?" she asked excitedly. "I love that place."

"I know you do. You and Rory go there practically every week." He offered her his arm. "So you're in?"

She slipped her arm through his. "I'm in. Lead the way!"

The pair quickly made their way to Black and White and Read where Lorelai squealed in delight as she read the sign out front. "They're showing the Wizard of Oz! Do you know how great that is? Or let me guess, Mr. Hermit here hasn't seen it. Do you know what you've been missing all of these years? 'Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!' This film is a classic to end all classics."

"I've seen the damn film, Lorelai," he told her.

The two walked into the tiny theater. Luke paid Kirk, and at Lorelai's insistence, bought some popcorn and drinks.

"Big Red is free! Mine!" Lorelai exclaimed before running over and plopping herself down on the comfy red couch.

"Did you have to do that?" Luke hissed at her as he joined her on the couch. "No one else is even here."

She just shrugged and grabbed a handful of popcorn.

Kirk started the film after only a minor incident of getting his sleeve caught in the projector. Luke and Lorelai watched the beginning of the film quietly, munching on their popcorn.

Luke was finally starting to enjoy the film when Lorelai startled him by squeeing very loudly, causing him to drop the popcorn. "What the hell was that?"

"Munchkins!" she exclaimed. "Aren't they cute? I want one. And I've always wanted to be a member of the Lullaby League."

"I knew you had a fixation with the Oompa Loompas in that Waldo movie-"

"Wonka," she corrected him.

"- but the Munchkins as well? Do you have a thing for very short men?"

"C'mon, Luke. You have to admit that they're really adorable."

"Not really," he said.

"You're no fun. And it's not like I want to marry one. Well, an Oompa Loompa maybe, because then, I'd always be surrounded by chocolate. But a Munchkin? I don't think so. Plus, I'd have to deal with the Wicked Witch, and that would be no fun. Although the ruby slippers are pretty..."

"There's a whole lot of logic involved there," he stated, rolling his eyes at her.

She picked up the empty popcorn container. "You spilt all the popcorn." She handed him the container to him. "Can you go get us some more?" she asked, giving him her signature pout.

He took it from her. "Fine. But then, you are going to sit here quietly through the rest of the movie."

She saluted him. "Ay ay, captain."

Luke returned a few moments later with the popcorn. He sat beside Lorelai and ate a few pieces himself before she reached over to take some. He held the popcorn out of her reach.

"Hey, I want some popcorn!" she said, trying to grab the box from Luke.

He continued to hold it out of her grasp. "I thought you agreed to no more talking?" he reminded her.

"But I want some popcorn. Gimme!" she ordered.

He held the container over his head. "I think you've had enough junk food for one night."

"Mean!" she exclaimed. Lorelai was not one to give up so easily so she formulated a plan to try and get her hands on the popcorn. Kneeling on the couch, she straddled one of Luke's legs and reached for the popcorn. She unknowingly pressed herself against him as she struggled to reach the box. Even though she was higher up now, Luke's arm was still much longer than hers. "It will be mine," she informed him.

"Not if I have any say."

Preparing her best pout, she looked down at him. Suddenly, the position they were in became clear to her. Her face was so close to his. Close enough to kiss him, she thought. Momentarily, she contemplated closing the last few inches between them.

However, the moment was broken when Kirk yelped after accidentally burning his hand on the popcorn machine. Lorelai quickly scrambled off Luke's lap to the opposite side of the couch. Feeling sheepish, Lorelai watched the movie silently, completely forgetting about the popcorn. Had she really almost kissed Luke?

Luke was breathing heavily. He swore that Lorelai had almost kissed him. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. She was his best friend, and he'd give anything to keep her happy. But did he want more than that?

They both pushed away their thoughts. Denial was always a safe place be.

Luke took a deep breath and glanced over at Lorelai. She gave him a shy smile before scooting a bit closer to him. He closed the remaining space between them, wrapping his arm tightly around her. She placed her head against his shoulder as he ran his fingers soothingly through her hair. He held out the popcorn to her, and she took a few pieces.

Friendship was a safe place to be.

Wasn't it?

_To be continued. : ducks to avoid flying objects: Please review!_

_La prochaine fois: Sookie wants to take Lorelai to a singles bar._


	16. Gotta Get You Back Out There

_Author's Note: Thanks to those of you who left feedback on the last chapter. It made me all happy. And another shout out to my amazing beta xphilehb. This story would be nothing without her help._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Rory's with her father, so Lorelai and Luke went to a movie together which almost resulted in a kiss._

"So what are you plans for tonight?" Sookie asked Lorelai as she stirred her sauce for the Inn's dinner.

"I'm probably going to pick up some dinner at Luke's and then watch some movies or something," Lorelai informed Sookie. "Just a quiet evening at home. Why?"

Sookie clapped her hands together, almost knocking over her sauce. "Because I have a better idea."

Lorelai took a bite out of one of the cookies Sookie had made for dessert. "These are good," she commented before responding to Sookie's statement, "Like what?"

"We're going to go out."

"Oh! Where?" Lorelai questioned.

"We're going to go to a singles bar!" Sookie exclaimed.

Lorelai nearly choked on her bite of the cookie. "A what?"

"A singles bar," Sookie repeated, nodding her head excitedly. "We need to get you back out on the scene."

"And what scene would that be?"

"The dating scene! C'mon, Lorelai, when was the last time you went out on a date?" Sookie asked. "Because I am drawing a blank on that one."

"Sookie, don't you think it's a little too soon for me to be looking for a relationship? It hasn't been that long since everything with Chris," Lorelai pointed out.

"I'm not talking about a relationship. I'm talking about the transition guy. The guy to get you back out there," Sookie explained. "I think it'll be good for you."

"I don't know, Sookie..."

"One night, Lorelai, one night. That's all I'm asking for. If it's a total bust, I'll never ask you to do it again."

Lorelai sighed. "Well, I don't know. Where is this bar? I'm pretty sure I've never seen a bar, let alone a singles bar in Stars Hollow."

"It's in Woodbury," Sookie replied. "A quick 15-minute drive."

Lorelai hesitated. "I probably shouldn't. Rory-" she began.

"What about Rory, Lorelai? She's sixteen years old. I'm sure she can take care of herself for one night. And isn't she with Christopher?"

"Well, yeah." She was out of excuses. "You swear it'll be just this one time?"

Sookie held out her pinkie. "I pinkie-swear."

Lorelai took Sookie's offered pinkie. "Fine."

"Yay!" Sookie squeaked. "Wear something hot!"

"You are so going to owe me," Lorelai told her friend. "I'm going to grab some dinner at Luke's beforehand. Meet me there at 8."

"You got it!"

"You're all dressed up," Luke observed as Lorelai entered the diner. She was wearing a little black dress that clung to her every curve. Luke had to stop himself from staring.

"Sookie's taking me out," she said as she took a seat at the counter.

He grabbed a mug and poured her some coffee. "Out where?"

"A singles bar in Woodbury. Apparently, you're not the only who thinks that I'm pathetic." She took a sip of her coffee. "What does a person even do at one of those places? Act all desperate and throw herself at a bunch of sleazy men?"

"I wouldn't know," he told her.

"I figured." She looked up at him only to find that he was smirking at her. "You think this is funny?"

"I never pictured you as someone who would want to go to a place like that."

"I'm not. Believe me, I don't want to go." She drummed her fingers on the counter, trying to come up with some excuse to give Sookie, when an idea came to her. "Hey, Luke? What are you doing tonight?"

"No," he answered shortly. "Don't even think about it."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask you."

"I am not going to the bar with you."

"Why not, Luke?" she asked. "We can mock it together. Please?" she begged. "I don't want to go there alone."

"You're not," he pointed out. "Sookie's going with you."

"Luke," she whined, drawing out his name. "You know I won't stop until I have my way."

Realizing he would not be able to get around it, he reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But you will not be giving me catcalls."

"That was one time! And it was pretty funny watching you turn thirteen shades of red. I want to go for fourteen," she teased. He gave her a pointed look.

"I'll behave.," she promised. "Now go change. Sookie will be here any minute."

"I have to change?" he questioned, beginning to regret his decision to go.

She nodded and gave him a small push. "Yes, you have to change. How else do you expect to pick up the ladies?" she joked, throwing in a wink for effect. "Now hurry up," she said as she watched him begin to walk up the steps to his apartment.

A few minutes after Luke went upstairs to change, Sookie walked into the diner.

"Hey, Sookie!" Lorelai greeted. "Guess what? I convinced Luke to go with us."

"Lorelai, you're not supposed to take a guy into a singles bar. You're supposed to leave with one," Sookie began.

"Who said I was going to leave with one?" Lorelai inquired. "Luke will just be there to fend off any of the majorly creepy guys."

Sookie looked skeptical. "Uh huh."

"Sookie!" The tone in Lorelai's voice was one of disbelief.

"It doesn't matter anyway. I just got a call from the Inn. Something went wrong with my lamb chops. I need to go back," Sookie informed her friend. "I'm so sorry!"

"This was your idea, Sookie." Lorelai was frustrated.

"I know. Rain check?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Lorelai assured her. "Go to the Inn."

"Hey, you can still go with Luke," Sookie pointed out, trying to make peace.

"Maybe..."

"Think about it," Sookie said as she walked out the diner.

"Was that Sookie?" Luke asked, coming up behind Lorelai as Sookie walked out of the diner and rounded the corner out of sight.

"Yeah. Something came up at the Inn," she responded, turning to face him. "Wow. You look good," she stated. Luke stood before her in jeans and a black sweater. She rarely saw him out of his flannel, and she had to admit that he had a gorgeous body hidden under there.

Luke's face reddened a bit when he saw her staring. "Thanks," he mumbled. "So does that mean we're not going?" he inquired.

"I don't know... we could still go... if you want..." she trailed off. "I mean, we're all dressed up."

"Do you still want to go?" he asked her, sensing from her last statement that she did.

She shrugged. "We could just go have a drink or two."

"I could go for that," Luke agreed.

The two spent most of their time at the bar enjoying each other's company. Lorelai was certain that she was having more fun sitting at the tiny table talking with Luke than (she would have had) if she had come with Sookie and spent the entire evening looking for a guy.

Luke finished up the last of his beer. "I'm going to go get another drink. Do you want one?" he asked, pointing to her empty martini glass.

"Sure," she said, watching as he walked up to the bar. She couldn't help but let her thoughts travel to how good Luke looked tonight. He was probably the best looking guy in the whole place.

"Hey," someone said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

She looked over to see a guy standing at Luke's abandoned chair. "Hi," she replied.

"Mind if I join you?" the man asked.

"Actually..." she paused for a moment. Hadn't she come here to find the 'transition guy'? She glanced back at the bar, back at Luke. She would much rather spend the rest of the evening with him. "That seat's taken," she finished.

"Oh. Sorry. Can I at least get your number?" the guy persisted.

She shook her head, noticing that Luke was making his way back to the table. "I don't think so." She pointed at Luke. "My boyfriend wouldn't like that very much. He's more of a hit first and ask questions later kind of guy, so you might want to leave," she said sweetly.

"Bye," he said, quickly turning to leave and almost running into Luke. "Sorry, man. I didn't realize she was taken," he apologized before bolting away.

Luke gave the retreating man an odd look. "Who was that guy?"

Lorelai shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Now, where were we?" she asked, taking her martini from him.

"I hope that I am never desperate enough to throw myself at a man like that!" Lorelai exclaimed as she and Luke walked up the steps to her house. They were discussing the random antics that they had witnessed at the bar. "I thought she was going to rip off her clothes right there in the bar," she said, laughing at the memory.

"She had a little too much to drink," Luke noted, chuckling.

Lorelai unlocked her door. "So are you coming in?" she asked Luke, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course," he answered, holding the door open so they both could walk inside. He took both of their jackets and hung them up before following Lorelai into the living room.

Lorelai had plopped down on the couch so that her back was against the arm of the couch. When Luke entered the room, she held up her legs so that he could sit next to her before placing them down on his lap. "I am exhausted," she stated.

He removed her shoes from her feet. "I will never understand how you can walk in these," he told her, noting the high heels of the shoes. He tossed them on the floor. He leaned back against the couch. He felt as tired as Lorelai looked, but still, something was on his mind. "So..."

"Hmm..." she murmured with closed eyes, her head resting against the back of the couch.

"What did you expect from tonight? I mean, if you had gone with Sookie, were you expecting to umm... find someone?"

She opened her eyes to look at him. "I don't know. I didn't really want to go. Sookie thought that I needed to find a transition guy."

"A transition guy?"

"You know, someone before I find relationship guy." She gave a tiny shrug. "I don't really know. I was just going with Sookie on this way, I know nothing about the dating scene these days."

"Do you want a... umm..."

"Transition guy? I don't know. But I know eventually I will want a relationship guy."

"You do?" he asked.

"Yeah. I haven't given it too much thought, but it would be nice... having someone," she said quietly. She thought about how she had never really had Christopher, not all of him anyway.

"It would be nice," he agreed, resting his head against the back of the couch so that he was eye-to-eye with Lorelai. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah, Luke?" she yawned, trying to fight off sleep.

"You'll always have me," he whispered softly, running his fingers gently across her cheek.

She reached for his hand and entwined her fingers through his and gave him a smile. "I know," she replied.

Luke pressed a soft kiss against her hand that was joined with his. "Get some sleep," he told her.

"Sleep is good," she mumbled before letting her eyes drift close.

_To be continued. Please review! Reviews make me smile :-) And I promise you, you all won't have to wait too much longer..._

_La prochaine fois: It's Lorelai's birthday!_


	17. Happy Birthday Baby

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback on the last chapter!_

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai went to a singles bar, and the night ended with Luke saying that Lorelai would always have him._

"So where are we going?" Lorelai asked Luke for about the millionth time that night.

"You'll see when we get there!" he told her once again. "Do you have any patience at all?"

Luke was taking her out for a belated birthday dinner. All week she had tried to get him to tell her where they were going, and all week he had refused. She had spent her actual birthday with Rory, but Luke had promised to take her out the night after. Now, her patience – as if she actually had any to begin with – was wearing thin. She wanted to know where he was taking her.

She shook her head. "Nope. C'mon, Luke! Tell me."

"No!"

"But it's my birthday!" she tried.

"It was your birthday yesterday," he reminded her.

"But we're celebrating tonight, Mister," she shot back at him. "Therefore, I deserve special birthday privileges tonight as well."

"What the hell kind of logic is that?"

"My very own special kind of logic. Luke!" she begged.

"Will you shut up and let me drive?"

"But Luke-" she began.

He cut her off, "If you don't behave, there will be no dessert for you tonight."

She gasped. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," he challenged.

Lorelai crossed her arms and sat back against the seat cushion in a huff. A few minutes later, they pulled into a parking lot of a small tavern. "Are we there?" she asked, looking out the passenger side window.

"Yep," he answered, getting out of his truck. "Now was it really that hard being quiet for a few minutes?"

"Yes," she stated as he opened her door and helped her out of his truck. She leaned against him, feigning exhaustion. "Staying quiet took a lot out of me. Need replenishment. Can't walk. Carry me?" she requested, wrapping her arms around his neck and attempting to climb up into his arms.

He placed his hands on her hips and kept her firmly on the ground. "The sooner you stop this, the sooner we can go inside."

"And I get to have dessert?" she questioned.

"You get to have dessert."

She grabbed his hand and they began walking towards the building. "Two pieces of dessert?" she asked sweetly.

"We'll see," he told her, holding the door open for her.

Once inside, an older woman came rushing towards them. "Lucas! You're here!" the woman exclaimed.

"Lucas!" Lorelai teased.

He shot her a look. "No dessert," he reminded her, effectively shutting her up.

The woman gave Luke a hug before turning her attention to Lorelai. "Now, who do we have here?"

"Maisy, this is my friend Lorelai," Luke told the older woman.

"Lorelai! I like that name. It's so nice to meet you. Lucas never brings his girls here. You must be special," Maisy said, giving Lorelai a hug.

"Oh, she's not my-" Luke began.

Maisy didn't even give him a chance to finish. "Oh hush, Lucas." She linked her arm through Lorelai's as she led the two to their table. "Now, our boy here treats you well, doesn't he?"

"He takes good care of me," Lorelai assured her.

Maisy nodded. "Good. You two have a seat, and I will get you champagne." Luke opened up his mouth to say something. "I know you hate champagne, Luke, but you are with a lady, and you will drink it." She clapped her hands together. "I have to go get Buddy! He's going to want to meet Lorelai. Buddy!" she called as she walked away from the table.

"Sorry about that," Luke apologized.

"Sorry for what?" Lorelai asked. "I thought she was cute," she paused for a moment before adding, "Lucas."

"Dessert," he chided as Maisy returned to the table with Buddy.

"Buddy, you have to meet Luke's girlfriend. She's just the cutest thing!" Maisy exclaimed.

"Nice to meet you, Lorelai," Buddy greeted her, holding out his hand to her.

Lorelai shook his hand. "The pleasure is all mine. I really love your place," she commented.

"It used to be a whorehouse," Maisy informed her.

"Oh! Umm... that must be some good advertising," Lorelai stated.

Maisy laughed. "I really like her, Luke. You better keep her around," she said before both she and Buddy left the table.

"I'm sorry," Luke repeated again.

"What? I think they're great."

"They think you're my girlfriend."

Lorelai shrugged. "So what? Unless you're embarrassed by me. Are you?" she asked, grabbing his cheeks with her hands and made kissing noises. "Pookie?"

"I will be if you don't stop that," he told her, removing her hands from his face. "They're going to wonder why you never come back here with me."

"So I'm never allowed to come back here with you?"

"No. I mean, we can come back here. If you want to that is..."

She gave him a smile. "I want to."

The rest of the evening passed smoothly. Luke and Lorelai had a wonderful dinner together as well as two desserts after much insisting from Lorelai. Buddy and Maisy even sent them home with another piece of cake after they learned of Lorelai's love for all things chocolate. They then sent Luke and Lorelai out the door with hugs and made Luke swear that he'd bring Lorelai again soon.

The two returned to Lorelai's house with Lorelai exclaiming that she was hungry and inviting Luke in for some cake. Walking into her kitchen, they found Rory working on some homework.

"Hey, hon," Lorelai greeted her daughter, placing a soft kiss on Rory's forehead. Rory kind of shrugged her off. "Do you want some cake?" Lorelai asked her as Luke got some plates out of her cupboard.

"No," Rory answered a bit bitterly.

"Maybe, I should go," Luke offered, placing the plates on the counter.

"No, it's okay," Lorelai told him.

"I think it's best," Luke said. "I'll see you tomorrow." He squeezed Lorelai's hand. "Happy birthday," he whispered to her before backing his way out of the kitchen. "Bye, Rory," he said, waving in her direction as left.

"Bye, Luke," Rory responded distractedly, not even looking up from her homework as she said it.

Lorelai waited until Luke was out the door before cornering Rory. "What was that?" she asked her daughter.

Rory shrugged. "Nothing."

"Oh, it was definitely something. I thought you liked Luke?"

Rory let out a deep breath. "I do like Luke. I'm sorry if I seemed rude to him. I'll apologize tomorrow."

Lorelai stroked her daughter's hair. "Tell me what's on your mind, babe."

"No, it'll be fine. I don't want to ruin your birthday."

"Now you've really got me worried. What is it?" Lorelai questioned, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Rory. "My birthday was yesterday, so you can't ruin it."

Rory thought for a moment before reaching under her book and pulling out a piece of the newspaper. She handed it to her mother.

Lorelai took it from her daughter and quickly scanned the page. It was an engagement notice for Christopher and Sherry. No wonder her daughter was so upset. "Did he call you?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shook her head. "No. I found it in the paper myself." She looked at her mother with tears in her eyes. "Why didn't he tell me? I was just with him. He didn't even say that he was still seeing Sherry!"

Lorelai took her crying daughter into her arms. "Aww. I don't know, honey."

"And when he came here to try to be a family again... he must have still been seeing Sherry! How could he do that to us?" Rory cried.

Lorelai tried to calm her daughter. She pulled back to look Rory in the eye. Running her hands soothingly over Rory's hair, she said, "I honestly don't know, Rory. I don't know." Knowing that she didn't want Rory to hate her father, she added, "Maybe he didn't know how to tell you. Maybe he didn't want to disappoint you. You know your father, if he doesn't know how to deal with something, he doesn't deal with it."

"Maybe..." Rory sniffed.

Lorelai kissed her daughter's forehead. "Everything is going to be fine," she tried to assure Rory. And herself.

_To be continued. Please review!_

_La prochaine fois: The aftermath of Chris' announcement. _


	18. It's Not You, It's Him

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! I'd love it if you continue to leave reviews._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke took Lorelai out for her birthday. Rory later announced that Chris is engaged._

……………………………………………………………………

Lorelai had a difficult time sleeping that night after learning about Christopher's engagement to Sherry. She felt a knot growing in her stomach, and it was getting tighter and tighter, ready to squeeze her in half. She tossed and turned all night, unable to get her mind to quit going a mile a minute. Every time she closed her eyes, she pictured Chris and Sherry smiling at her in all their wedding glory.

She didn't understand what was wrong. She was completely over Chris. Hell, she was over him before the papers were signed making it official to be over him. She just couldn't put her finger on what was bothering her.

Finally, she saw the first rays of the morning light peeking through her bedroom window. Grateful that the night was over, Lorelai dragged her exhausted body out of bed to ready herself for the day. She would throw herself into her work, and that would take her mind off of things. There was a big wedding in a week at the Independence Inn, so she had a lot of last minute plans to get in order.

It wasn't until that evening when she entered Luke's that she finally felt the weight of the day's exhaustion pushing down on her shoulders. Lorelai felt like hell, and she probably looked like it as well. She slowly made her way over to the counter and took a seat on one of the stools. "Coffee?" she requested.

"You look like hell," Luke observed as he poured her a cup of the dark liquid. "Long day?"

She took the mug from him and took a sip. "The longest," she stated. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Why not?" When she just let out a sigh instead of answering, he continued, "What's wrong, Lorelai?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "What happened?"

"It's stupid," she said after a moment.

"As much as I never thought I'd be saying this to you, it's not stupid," he assured her, placing his hand over hers.

"Oh, it's pretty stupid. I don't even know why it's bugging me so much."

"Just tell me," he urged.

"After you left last night, Rory told me that... well, you'll be happy to know she wasn't upset at you," she said.

"I know. She apologized this morning when she and Lane came in for breakfast," he informed her.

"She did?"

"Yeah," he responded. "Lorelai?" he inquired, steering her back to the original subject.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Rory's father is getting remarried," she said quickly. "That's why she was so upset. That's why I'm... I'm however the hell this is."

He came around the counter and took a seat next to her. "And this upsets you?" he asked slowly.

"No. Yes. I don't know. It makes no sense, Luke. I don't want to be with him. I don't. I don't understand..."

"Maybe you're so upset because Rory was so upset by the news," he offered.

"Maybe," she agreed. Lorelai felt Luke give her knee a gentle squeeze before he got up to return to work. "Or maybe I made him cheat," she said quietly before she even had a chance to think about the words that had suddenly sprung into her mind and out of her mouth. Where had they come from?

Luke froze. What had she just said? "You what?"

"I made him cheat," she repeated more loudly this time, not able to look at Luke.

He quickly returned to her side. "No. No, you didn't. He made that decision on his own. You did not make him cheat. Don't ever say that."

Lorelai looked up to see tension written in every line of Luke's face and his posture. His hands were clinched into fists at his side. Lorelai suspected that if she could see inside his head, she would find visions of Luke punching Christopher floating around in there.

"It had to be something that I did!" she exclaimed, fighting back tears. "He's marrying her for God's sake! He cheated on me with her, and now he's marrying her. She has to have something that I don't," Lorelai declared, letting her tears flow freely down her cheeks. "Why wasn't I enough?" she added softly.

Luke unclenched his fists then, and came to sit beside her again. He gently wiped away her tears. "No, Lorelai. This isn't you. I could kill him for making you feel so insecure. Any man would be lucky to have a woman like you. He's an idiot for giving you up, but he didn't deserve you."

"He didn't give me up. I gave him up."

Luke nodded. "There you go. You deserve someone who is there for you no matter what. Someone who brings out the best in you. Not someone who makes you doubt yourself."

'I deserve someone like you,' she almost found herself saying. Instead she gave him a small smile and said, "You always do that."

"Do what?"

"You always know how to make me feel better."

He softly ran his hand up her arm before letting it rest on her shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I don't like seeing you sad," he told her simply before giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and standing to return to work.

"Thanks, Luke."

"Hey. Why don't you go upstairs and grab a couple of beers out of the fridge? I'll close up down here, and then I'll be up to join you," he proposed.

"Will you bring up some pie?" She hadn't eaten all day, and her stomach was beginning to protest.

Sensing this, Luke suggested, "How about I make you a burger and bring up some of those brownies that I accidentally put too much chocolate in?"

This suggestion earned Luke one of Lorelai's huge grins, and he couldn't help but think it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"There's no such thing as too much chocolate!" she exclaimed, making her way towards the stairs. "Don't take too long," she insisted.

"Says the woman who took an hour last week to decide if she wanted chocolate or vanilla ice cream."

"I told you it would have been easier to just let me have both," she quipped before disappearing behind the curtain.

……………………………………………….

The next day, Luke looked up from sorting his receipts to see Rory entering the diner. He wasn't too surprised to see her, but she rarely came into the diner alone. Usually, she had her mother or Lane with her. She came straight up to the counter. "Coffee and Danish to-go?" he inquired, already pouring a cup and placing a pastry in a bag. That was her usual order if she came in alone.

She shook her head. "I just wanted to talk to you for a minute," she told him.

He put the coffee and bag down on the counter. "Okay."

"I just wanted to thank you," she began.

"Thank me?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Mom seemed a bit upset yesterday, you know, with my dad's engagement and all. When she came home last night, she was laughing and joking around. She was back to being her happy self," she told Luke. "I know she was here. I know she was with you. She always comes here when she's upset about something that she's uncomfortable talking to me about. And I'm glad. I'm glad she has you," Rory finished.

Luke had stood there, listening to her silently. "I umm... I care about her," he admitted. "A lot."

"I know. You kept your promise to me. You haven't hurt her," Rory added.

"I never want to hurt her," Luke assured Rory.

"Will you make me another promise?"

"Anything," he agreed. He had long ago discovered that the protectiveness he felt towards Lorelai also extended to her daughter.

"Good," Rory nodded. "Mom's not ready yet, but when she is ready, promise me you'll be ready too."

Luke gave her a confused look. "Ready for what?"

Rory just gave him a smile, grabbed the coffee and the bag with the Danish from the counter, and turned to leave. "Bye, Luke."

"Rory?" Luke tried again, but she walked out the diner door. Did she mean what he thought she meant?

………………………………..

"Hey, kiddo," Lorelai greeted her daughter as she entered the kitchen. "Where were you?" Rory held up her coffee and Danish from Luke's. "And you didn't get your beautiful mother something?"

"Sorry," Rory apologized. "You can have the rest of the Danish if you want."

"And the coffee?" Lorelai asked eagerly.

"Is mine." Rory pointed to the mug in front of her mother. "You already have some."

"But it's not Luke's coffee," whined Lorelai.

"Tough."

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee and frowned. It was definitely not as good as Luke's. "So have you talked to your father?"

"Yes. I asked him why he didn't tell me."

"What'd he say?" Lorelai questioned, taking a bite of Rory's Danish.

"He apologized profusely, and he said that he didn't know how to tell me," Rory told her mother.

"See? I knew that was the reason," Lorelai pointed out. "He didn't do it to hurt you."

"I guess," she paused for a moment before adding, "He wants me to get to know Sherry."

Lorelai tried not to sound bothered by the subject as she asked, "Do you want to get to know her?"

Rory shrugged. "I don't know. She's going to be around, so I probably should. I just... I mean... she was-"

"Wasn't the only reason," Lorelai reminded her daughter, though it was very difficult for her to remain levelheaded. Sherry was the cause of so many of Lorelai's insecurities.

"Right." Rory shrugged again, suspecting that Lorelai was playing it cooler than she actually felt. "We'll see." She got up and gave her mother a quick kiss. "I have to get ready for school."

"Yeah, we'll see," Lorelai repeated quietly.

_To be continued. Please review. I'm thinking you're all going to like the next few chapters. At least I hope…_

_La prochaine fois: Luke and Lorelai have big plans for a summer weekend._


	19. Coffee Makes You Do the Wacky

_Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this! I totally forgot. The end of the semester is killing my brain. And then, the site wouldn't let me log in for days. I promise to not take so long next time. Anyway, thanks for the wonderful feedback. Keep it coming! Also a huge thanks to my amazing beta xphilehb!_

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Chris got engaged, Luke cheered Lorelai up, and Rory had a little "talk" with Luke._

"What time is Christopher picking Rory up?" Luke asked.

"He and Sherry will be at the house around noon," Lorelai informed him. "Sherry wants to officially meet me," she added. "Joy."

"Well, that's probably good, right?" he reasoned. "That way you know who Rory's going to be spending time with."

"I guess," Lorelai relented. "It's just that seeing her makes her real. Before now, I could pretend she looked like the ugly stepmother from Cinderella. Now, I'm going to know the truth."

"We can always pretend that she's going to turn back into a mouse at midnight," he joked.

She laughed. "That could work. I can't believe you've seen Cinderella! Do you have a secret obsession with Disney movies?"

"I have a younger sister," he reminded Lorelai. "She used to watch all of those damn movies."

"Oh! Did she make you play dress-up and have tea parties?" Lorelai teased.

"Yes, I even had my own little pink dress," he played along.

"Don't let Carson know that, because he would tell you that pink so doesn't go with your complexion."

"Who?" he inquired.

"So are you packed for this weekend?" she asked, ignoring his question. "Bringing that cute little pink dress with you?"

"Unfortunately, the dress is at the dry cleaners, but I am packed. Are you?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

"Yes meaning...?"

"That the entire contents of my closet are on my bed," Lorelai admitted. "But I am almost packed. I swear."

"Sure," he said in disbelief. "We're leaving in a few hours," Luke pointed out.

"I know. I'll be ready," she assured him.

It was already almost the end of summer – the months after Lorelai's birthday had flown by. Even with Rory home everyday, Lorelai had still been spending a lot of time with Luke. And now, Christopher had invited Rory to spend one of her last free weekends with him and Sherry at his parents' summer house at Cape Cod. Lorelai had reluctantly agreed to let her daughter go after Rory had assured her that one weekend would not be so terrible. And with her father's wedding quickly approaching, Rory insisted that she should probably spend a little time with Sherry – she had already avoided any meetings with her future stepmother for a few months.

Lorelai had been depressed about the situation until Luke had suggested that the two of them spend the weekend in New York. They had compromised on seeing a Broadway show for her and attending a baseball game for him. Lorelai had quickly become excited about their impending weekend together. It would be a nice end to the summer.

She had been in Stars Hollow for almost a year now, and there was no doubt in her mind that the year wouldn't have passed as smoothly as it had if she hadn't met Luke. She wanted to shout 'Ha! Take that, Emily! I survived just fine!' at her mother, but the two of them had had very little contact since that fateful dinner months back. Lorelai had spent a bit of time with her father, but it was still very awkward. She had promised Rory that after the summer, she would once again try to reconcile with Emily.

She was trying to think of some way to waste time before it was absolutely necessary that she went home to finish packing for the weekend. She fingered her empty coffee mug. Coffee. It was as good an excuse as any, if not better. "Luke, can I have some more coffee?" she requested, holding her empty cup out to him.

"Even in this heat, you still want that steaming hot drink?" he inquired.

"Uh... yeah," she said in her 'duh' sounding voice. "Besides, it's air conditioned in here."

He grabbed the pot and was about to pour her another cup when he stopped. "I think you've had enough. I don't want you yammering on nonstop all the way to New York," he told her.

"I'm going to yammer on no matter what," Lorelai informed him matter-of-factly. "You just need to decide how cranky you want me to be. Because no caffeine makes Lorelai very cranky, my friend."

"Why do you have to refer to yourself in third person?"

"Because Lorelai said so."

"Stop," he complained. "That's annoying."

"Can I have more coffee?"

"No."

"Heather has two mommies," she said out of nowhere, hoping to distract Luke.

"What?" he asked, sounding completely confused. He had no idea where she came up with these things.

She attempted to snatch the coffee pot from Luke, but he only backed away from the counter. "Mean!" she grumbled.

"Calling me mean never gets you anywhere," he tried to remind her. "You're still not getting coffee."

"Oh yeah?" she questioned, climbing up onto the counter.

"What are you doing? People eat there!" Luke exclaimed. "You're acting like a child."

She kneeled on the counter, staying still for a moment. "If you give me coffee, I'll behave."

"No coffee," he repeated and moved to walk away.

"You asked for it!" she shouted before jumping on Luke's back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

She wrapped her legs securely around Luke's waist. "Haven't I proven to you already that I will do anything to get coffee?" she questioned as she reached up to grab the coffee pot. "I have my ways to get what I want," she said almost seductively, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.

"I can see that," Luke said, practically choking on his words which caused Lorelai to laugh. He couldn't help but join in her laughter.

She was still wrapped around him when the bell above the door jingled. "Mom?" they both heard Rory ask. The two froze when they turned and saw Rory standing in the doorway along with Christopher and Sherry.

Lorelai quickly came to her senses and climbed off Luke. "He wouldn't give me coffee," she offered as an excuse.

Her daughter shrugged. "I guess that would explain any of your actions," Rory stated, taking a seat at a table with her father and his fiancée.

Lorelai made her way over to join them. "What are you all doing here? I thought that-"

"We arrived a little early, and Rory said that you'd be here," Chris supplied.

"It's partially my fault. I simply could not wait to meet the two of you," Sherry added. She offered her hand out to Lorelai. "I'm Sherry," she said brightly.

Lorelai shook the other woman's hand, noting how pretty she was. "Lorelai."

"Hey Luke?" Rory called across the diner. "Can we have some coffee?"

"Sure thing," he responded, grabbing a few clean mugs.

"Not fair," Lorelai whined, turning to give Luke a pout.

"Keep your pants on, I'm bringing you some too," Luke told her.

"You're pretty," she cooed. Luke shot her a warning glance.

"Lorelai, I hope that you don't mind that we're stealing Rory away for the weekend," Sherry said. "Christopher tells me that the two of you are very close."

"We are," Lorelai confirmed.

"Mom actually has her own plans for the weekend," Rory informed them.

"You do?" Chris inquired.

"She and Luke are going to New York," Rory said for her mother.

Chris eyed Luke. "You are?"

"Yeah, we're umm... just going to see a play and a... umm... baseball game," Lorelai stuttered, aware that her ex-husband was staring at Luke.

Sherry seemed equally interested in Lorelai's plans. "What play are you seeing? I absolutely love Broadway shows."

Rory grinned. "Mom loves when people ask her that."

Lorelai put on her best Mark impression. "Dearly beloved we gather here to say our goodbyes," she sang.

Luke arrived at the table with their coffee as Lorelai continued to sing. "What the hell is she doing?" he asked Rory.

"Singing songs from Rent," Rory responded. "She knows the entire soundtrack by heart."

"God help me," Luke muttered as he placed the mugs on the table.

"It just so happens that I'm bringing the soundtrack with us so we can listen to it the entire way there," Lorelai informed him.

"Great," Luke said.

"It's a classic," Lorelai stated before attempting to sing again, "Seasons of love! Five hundred twenty-" Luke's hand covered her mouth. "Hey!" she exclaimed, but her voice was muffled by his hand.

"Have fun, Luke!" Rory stated.

"If your mother isn't home on Sunday, it's because I left her somewhere along the highway," Luke notified Rory.

"Okay," Rory laughed and nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Very funny," Lorelai chimed in.

Christopher and Sherry stayed a while longer to chat with Lorelai before finally getting up to leave. Rory gave her mother a kiss goodbye and told her to have fun before following her father out the door.

"Well, that was fun," Lorelai announced once they were out the door, taking a seat at the counter once again. "Do you think she was as pretty as me?"

"You need to go home and pack," he urged her.

"Can't I just buy everything there that I'll need?" she asked.

"Go," he ordered. "I'll be by in about an hour. You better be ready."

"I will," she promised. She grabbed her purse and made her way towards the door.

"Lorelai?" Luke called after her. She turned to face him. He was smiling at her. "Not a chance."

She returned his smile, blushing slightly as she left the diner.

_To be continued. Please review! Once again, I promise to update soon (as long as finals don't rot out my brain)._

_La prochaine fois: The trip to NYC._


	20. More Like Seasons of Annoyance

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! They all made me smile. And I promise that we're getting to the part you've all been waiting for._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai are going to NYC for a weekend!_

About an hour after Lorelai had left the diner, Luke arrived at her house to pick her up for their trip. He knocked on the door before opening it up and walking into the foyer. "Lorelai?" he called. "Are you ready?"

She bounded into the room. "I'm ready," she announced. She was freshly showered and dressed, and she had tamed her hair so that she would be ready for the evening's play. "Rory bought this new body wash, and it smells so good. Smell me!" she said, shoving her arm in Luke's face.

He pushed her arm away. "I'm not smelling you," he stated, but he had caught a whiff of the scent, and he had to admit that she did smell good. "Where's your bag?" he asked, eager to leave.

She pointed to the three bags that she had leaning against the wall. "Right there."

"Jeez, Lorelai. We'll be back on Sunday."

"Do you know how many outfits I will need before then? Not to mention accessories! There's a dress and a pair of shoes for tonight's show, pajamas, an outfit for the baseball game, tomorrow's dinner..." she began to count off the outfits on her fingers.

"I'm beginning to think it would just be easier to take all of your bags."

She stopped. "Probably."

He picked up all three bags to carry them out to his truck. "What the hell did you pack in here?" he asked, noting how heavy the bags were.

"Do we really want to go through all that again?" she questioned, ready to start naming off her outfits and accessories again.

"Let's not," he responded as they begin to walk outside.

Luke put Lorelai's bags into the bed of his truck alongside his one bag before climbing into the truck where Lorelai was already messing with the CD player. "What are you doing?"

She held up the case to her Rent CD. "Okay, we have some very important decisions to make. Do you want to start listening from the very beginning? Or do you want to listen to my favorite songs first?"

"It doesn't matter," he told her.

"Of course it does! Hmm... it would probably be better to start from the beginning so you can learn the whole story. Though track twenty-three, La Vie Boheme, is my absolute favorite," she said, already pressing the skip button so she could listen to the track. "Or we could start with disc two which begins with Seasons of Love. It's a classic."

"There's two discs?" Luke asked in disbelief. This was going to be a long ride.

"I know!" she declared as the sounds of La Vie Boheme filled the truck. "We'll listen to my favorite songs, and then, we'll listen straight through from the beginning. The drive will be long enough." She began to sing along with the music.

Luke rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long drive indeed.

…………………………………………………………

After what seemed like hours to Luke and only minutes to a singing Lorelai, they finally arrived at their hotel. Luke carried the bags up to their room with Lorelai questioning him on what his favorite Rent song was.

"C'mon! Luke, you have to have a favorite song," Lorelai informed him, leaning against the doorframe as she held one of her bags.

"They all sounded the same to me."

"Ah! There is _so_ a difference between a song like Out Tonight and the masterpiece that is La Vie Boheme."

"Maybe if you weren't howling along like a dog, I could have actually heard the songs," he said, struggling to open the door.

"I do not sing that badly," Lorelai said, choosing not to take offense. "Luke, tell me your favorite. I know! You probably like You'll See, because you'd so be mean like Benny and try to evict people on Christmas Eve," she teased.

"Well, if the people didn't pay their rent-" he began.

She jumped up and down and pointed her finger at him. "Aha! You did pay attention!"

"Will you just help me open this damn door?" he asked, motioning with his full hands.

Lorelai grabbed the key from him and quickly opened the door. She tossed the bag she was holding onto the first bed. "You can just put the rest there as well," she told Luke. She was already opening up the one, searching for that evening's outfit as he set down the remaining two. "How much time do we have?"

"We should probably leave in about an hour."

……………………………………….

"Are you almost finished in there?" Luke called from outside the bathroom. "We need to get going."

"Just give me one more minute," she answered.

He looked at his watch. He was really beginning to get impatient. "You've been in there long enough."

"You're not helping the process."

"Lorelai, we need to..." He was about to say something more when the bathroom door finally opened. Lorelai appeared before him wearing a beautiful blue sundress which brought out her piercing blue eyes. He sat there silently, taking in the sight of her.

"And the complaining stops," she declared. She felt his eyes traveling over her body, and she had to admit, it felt good. "I take it that you like the dress."

That brought Luke out of his reverie. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, umm... we're going to be late so we better go," he informed her, standing to leave.

"Right," she agreed.

He stopped in front of her bed. "You should probably clean off your bed before we go. I know you, you're not going to feel like doing it later," he said, motioning to the pile of clothes, shoes, and makeup.

"It'll be fine," she dismissed, waving her arm nonchalantly at her bed. "You said yourself that we're going to be late if we don't leave."

Luke reluctantly agreed, and the two headed out for the evening.

……………………………………………

"That was amazing!" Lorelai exclaimed as they returned to their room after seeing the play. "Luke, you have to admit that it was pretty good."

"It was," he said in agreement.

"I knew you'd like it."

"I'm surprised that you were able to sit quiet for that long," he noted. He had been stunned when Lorelai hadn't attempted to sing along with the entire musical.

"I had to enjoy the whole play experience," she explained. "Don't worry, bucko, there will be more singing on the drive home."

"Looking forward to it. Hey, do you know where I can buy some earplugs?"

She playfully punched his arm. "I am not that bad," she insisted.

"If you say so."

"You're just being mean," she told him as she grabbed her pajamas. "I'm going to go change." She walked into the bathroom and quickly took off her dress and slipped into her pajamas. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she exited the bathroom. "I am exhausted," she announced as she walked past her bed and plopped down on Luke's.

"Up!" he ordered.

"But my bed is a mess!" she complained.

"I told you to clean it up before we left," Luke reminded her.

Lorelai yawned, shutting her eyes. "I'm too tired to do it now."

He grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. "I'm going to go change. When I come back, you better be in your own bed," he said as he walked into the bathroom.

Luke gave her plenty of time to get out of his bed. Probably too much time given that when he returned she was curled up, sound asleep, on his bed. He momentarily thought about waking her up, but then thought better of it. She was usually cranky if someone woke her up, and she was so quiet right now. He glanced at her bed which was still piled with her crap. She'd probably kill him if he messed up whatever crazy system she had going.

He walked over to what was supposed to be his bed. He stood there for a moment, watching her sleep. She really was peaceful. Since Lorelai was sleeping on top of all the covers, he folded the comforter so that the other half was covering her. She snuggled deeper into the covers. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before walking over to the opposite side of the bed. He shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, unsure of what to do next.

"Luke," he heard her whisper, still half asleep. "I don't bite." This made him smile, though she couldn't see it. He turned off the light and slowly climbed into the bed next to her. She rolled over to face him. "Goodnight," she breathed before falling back to sleep.

He reached out and smoothed her already rumpled hair. "Goodnight, Lorelai," he whispered back.

Luke remained awake for awhile longer. Suddenly, his mind was filled with thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like if Lorelai was more than just a friend. If he could lie in bed with this like every night, and hold her, make love to her. These thoughts had crossed his mind more times than he could count, and he had always pushed it away the moment it entered his mind. But tonight, the thoughts couldn't be pushed away so easily. She was right next to him, a smile playing with the corners of her mouth as dreams filled her sleep. He could smell the sweetness of her new soap.

But instead of reaching out and pulling her to him like he wanted to do, Luke turned away from her, forcing the thoughts to the back of his mind once again.

_To be continued. Please review! Sorry about all the RENT references, but it's the only play I've seen rather recently, and well, I hate doing actual research._

_If finals don't kill my brain, I should be having the next few parts out rather quickly. I hope._

_La prochaine fois: Lorelai had her fun with the play, now it's Luke's turn_.


	21. A New Sort of Dance

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the feedback! You all rock! I also want to give a huge thank you to xphilehb who helped me a lot with this chapter. I couldn't have done it without her. I'd still be staring at the end of the chapter, figuring out how to end it if it weren't for her._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai are in NYC, and they took in a Broadway show. Later, Lorelai fell asleep in Luke's bed, and he slept next to her._

As Luke awoke the next morning, he could feel Lorelai burrowed into his back, her soft breath against his neck. Remembering his thoughts from the night before, he quickly got out of the bed. He heard Lorelai groan at the loss of his warmth, but she simply rolled over and remained asleep. Luke quickly showered and dressed, and then he left the hotel room.

When he returned to the room, he was holding a large coffee for her and a bag of bagels for breakfast. He sat down cautiously next to her on the bed. "Lorelai," he tried. She didn't budge. "Lorelai," he said a bit louder, gently shaking her shoulder. "It's time to get up."

"Too early," Lorelai muttered, still refusing to open her eyes. She snuggled deeper into her pillow.

"You're the one who wanted to go shopping before the game," he reminded her.

"Shopping good..." she mumbled, but she still made no move to get up.

"I have coffee," he coaxed. If anything would get Lorelai up, it would be the promise of coffee.

That had her attention. She groggily sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Coffee?" she requested, holding out her hand. He gave her the cup, and she immediately took a sip. "What time is it?"

"It's after nine. I can't believe I slept that late."

She gave him a pointed look. "Late? Nine is early. Late would be like eleven, maybe even noon."

"I'm used to getting up around five," he stated.

"Freak." She placed her coffee on the nightstand and attempted to run her fingers through her tangled curls. "How horrible do I look?"

"Well, you just woke up," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "Luke, you're supposed to say that I look absolutely stunning," she explained. "It's like rule number one in the book."

"What book?" he inquired, handing her one of the bagels he had bought before taking one for himself.

She ignored his question as she took a bite out of her bagel.

After she finished her bagel, Lorelai got herself ready for the day. She and Luke spent the rest of the morning shopping before they grabbed lunch and dropped Lorelai's shopping bags off at the hotel so they could go to the Yankees game.

On the way to the stadium, Luke tried to give Lorelai some pointers about what not to do during a baseball game. She had to promise him that she would not yell "Touchdown!" at any point during the game after he swore to her numerous times that it was not cute.

Less than an inning had passed when Lorelai stood to leave. "I'll be right back," she told Luke.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Bathroom," she assured him.

He waited patiently for Lorelai to return. She was gone a lot longer than a trip to the bathroom should take. When she finally came back, her arms were full of junk food and a bag from the gift shop. "What is all that?" he questioned.

"You didn't tell me that a baseball game is junk food heaven," she stated as she took her seat next to him. "I've got hotdogs, popcorn, nachos, crackerjacks, and one of those giant soft pretzels."

"We just ate lunch, and we're going to dinner after the game," he reminded her.

"I know. These are just little snacks to hold me over."

"How are you going to eat all of that?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Are you really asking me that question? Besides, the pretzel is for you. It's the healthiest junk food they've got." She held out all the food to him. "Hold this for sec." He took the food from her and watched as she pulled a baseball cap from the gift shop bag. She placed it on her head. "Ta da! I'd wear it backwards so we could be twins, but the sun is in my eyes."

He stared at her. "You bought a Red Sox cap."

"Don't you like it?" she said, tilting her head back and forth to model it off for him.

"We're at a Yankees game."

"So? I thought that the Red Sox were your favorite team."

"They are," he affirmed. "But this is a Yankees game. You can't wear Red Sox gear to a Yankees game."

"Why not?" she asked.

Luke sighed. He'd never be able to explain the unspoken rules of the game to her. "Nevermind," he told her.

She placed her hand on his arm. "Relax, Luke. If anyone makes a big deal out of it, just say that your girlfriend thought the hat was pretty. Any guy who has ever dated a woman before will accept that, believe me."

His eyes had gone wide at her use of the word girlfriend, but he chose to ignore it, figuring that she meant nothing by it. "Make sure you hold on to that cap."

"For what?" she questioned, taking her junk food back from him.

"I thought we could go to a Red Sox game sometime."

"Really? I'd really like that." She grinned at him. "You mean you'd put up with me through an entire other game?" she teased, offering him the pretzel she had bought.

"Well, I guess it depends on how well you behave during this game," he stated, taking the pretzel from her.

"I'm being good," she declared as she turned her attention to the men on the field. She sat silently for a few minutes, concentrating on eating all the food on her lap. After swallowing a bite of her hotdog, she exclaimed, "Wow! Those pants really show off the players' butts."

"Lorelai!" Luke hissed at her, looking around to see if anyone heard her.

"That's why you like this game so much!" she laughed. "I finally get it. It's the junk food and the butts. I've been missing out all of these years."

"Lorelai!" he said forcefully, his face turning a deep shade of red. "Do you want to go to a Red Sox game with me or not?"

"Luke, come on. I'm just joking..." she tried. Luke did not look happy. "Fine. No more comments about the guys' butts." She leaned in close to him, whispering in his ear, "Am I allowed to tell you that your butt would look really good in a pair of those pants?"

Lorelai wasn't sure what possessed her to say it. She just really, really wanted to, so she had. She'd been feeling very flirty with Luke. There was something about this trip, about being away with Luke like a real 'couple,' that made her actually want to be more than just friends with him. It wasn't as though she hadn't thought about it before. It was just that now, she couldn't push the thoughts away. But they still scared her, so she decided to play it cool and act like her comment meant nothing.

Luke just gulped, unsure of how to answer. Lorelai smiled at him sweetly before turning her attention back to the game and the food. Not knowing Lorelai's own thoughts, he just stared at her, wondering if she had any idea the effect that she could have on him.

…………………………………………

Later after the game and dinner, the two returned to the hotel room, laughing over a joke Lorelai had made. They both collapsed on his bed, still laughing as Lorelai continued her bit. Both of them were thinking about how much they enjoyed the fun they always had together. They never failed to amuse one another.

Lorelai rolled onto her side to face Luke, her eyes sparkling at him. Suddenly aware of their position, Luke moved to get off the bed, but Lorelai stopped him. Her mind was flooded with remembrances of all the little moments they had shared, the way he was always there for her, the way her stomach would betray her and flutter when he smiled. She had always been a risk taker, but never with her heart. But as she looked at her best friend, she realized all that he meant to her. So she decided to take a chance.

Luke gave her a questioningly look and was about to say something when she brushed her lips against his.

The kiss ended as quickly as it began. Luke stared at her with wide eyes, completely stunned. She was watching him intently, waiting for his reaction. When his mind finally caught up with him, he gave her a smile which she immediately returned. He leaned back towards her, letting his lips meet hers once again. The kiss started slow as Luke tenderly moved his lips over hers. She eagerly responded to the feeling of his lips on hers, and the kiss heated up instantly.

Wanting to feel her body against his, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Luke came to his senses when he felt Lorelai trying to deepen the kiss. He pulled away and sat up.

"Luke?" Lorelai questioned, sitting up beside him.

"What are we doing, Lorelai?"

"I thought it was obvious," she stated, sounding a bit confused from his question.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "What do you want from this?" he asked, opening his eyes but not looking at her. She sat there silently, contemplating her answer. He continued before she could respond, "I respect you, Lorelai. You're my best friend, and I couldn't take advantage of you." His eyes met hers. "I'm not sure I could stop if this starts. I'm not sure I could go back to being just friends. And I couldn't stand it if I lost you," he added in a whisper before he looked away.

"That's why I want this, Luke. I've never trusted someone so completely with my heart. You'd never take advantage of me." She reached for his hand and tightly grasped it in her own. "You asked me what I want from this..." With her free hand, she turned his chin towards her, urging Luke to look at her. She made sure that he was looking directly at her, before she continued, "I want to be able to kiss you. I want to fall asleep, wrapped in your arms every night. I want..." she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. "I want everything, Luke. And you're it." She paused for a moment before asking, "What do you want?" She stumbled over the question, nervous of his response.

Luke knew that she had just laid everything out on the table. She had bared her soul to him, trusting him not to harm her. That meant more to him than anything else could. He drew his hand gently across her cheek. "I want you, Lorelai," he said before capturing her lips with his own.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. This time, when Lorelai tried to deepen the kiss, Luke didn't hesitate for even a second. He welcomed her in, their lips crashing together. His hands roamed over her body, wanting to feel every inch of her. He felt her hands struggling to undo the buttons of his shirt. Finally succeeding, Luke helped her pull the fabric off of his body before tackling the obstacle of her shirt and tossing it in the direction of his.

He slowly eased himself back down onto the bed with Lorelai joining him, pressing her body flesh against his, never letting their mouths break contact.

That night, they broke contact as little as possible. Hands roamed as they learned the feel of one another. It was new and awkward at moments, and at others, it felt familiar, like they had been doing this very thing forever. Which, in the end, made sense. It was the dance of two people crossing the line from friends to lovers.

_To be continued. Please review! I hope you all liked this chapter. I know you've been waiting for it! The next and final chapter is with my beta, so I'll be posting it very soon._


	22. The Road Ahead

_Author's Note: I want to send out a huge thank you to xphilehb for all of her help with this story._

_Previously in "A New Beginning": After months of friendship, Luke and Lorelai finally took their relationship to the next level._

Luke absentmindedly traced patterns along Lorelai's bare shoulder as she slept. She looked so peaceful. A gentle smile was playing at the corners of her lips. Luke liked to think that it was him she was dreaming about, causing the smile.

He had thought about going to buy them breakfast and her some coffee, but he quickly threw that idea out the window. Their bodies still remained tangled together, and he feared that he would wake her as he extricated himself from her. He also didn't want to let her go, afraid that it may all be a dream. He liked being able to reach out and touch her.

He brushed away the hair that had plastered itself to her forehead during the night. As much as he was enjoying watching her sleep, he was beginning to wish that she was awake. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to hear her voice, assuring him that this was all real. He leaned over and softly kissed her shoulder which his fingers had abandoned. He trailed his lips up her body, leaving kisses along her neck.

Lorelai sighed from contentment. "I could wake up like this everyday," she murmured.

Luke grinned. "I can arrange that," he told her before leaning down and capturing her lips in a kiss.

"I need coffee," Lorelai stated when they broke apart.

"I kiss you, and all you can think about is coffee?" Luke asked, pretending to be offended.

"How long have you known me?"

Luke chuckled. "Good point."

Lorelai pulled him close, so his lips were only centimeters from her own. "And just think. Now, I have many new ways to thank you for giving me coffee," she said suggestively.

"Dirty," he replied.

"See! I am so rubbing off on you!" She laughed before exclaiming, "Dirty!"

Luke rolled slightly so that he was on top of her. "I think that you need to show me some of these new ways," he said in a low voice that drove Lorelai crazy.

She ran her hands up his bare back as he began placing kisses along her collarbone. "Luke," she breathed. "Don't think that this will get you out of getting me coffee." He found a particularly sensitive spot, causing Lorelai to moan.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he replied.

………………………….

Lorelai finished the last of her coffee as she watched Luke load up his truck. She tilted her head so she could get a better view of his butt as he bent over to pick up the last of her suitcases. She loved being able to openly admire his assets. A grin crossed her face as she got an idea. Sneaking up quietly behind him, she pinched his butt.

Luke jumped. "Lorelai!" he hissed.

She smiled innocently at him. "I couldn't help myself."

"Don't do that again," he warned her.

"You didn't seem to have any complaints last night," she reminded him. "Or this morning," she added with a coy smile.

"Just try to keep your hands to yourself when we're out in public."

She caressed his shoulders, pulling him in close before nuzzling her nose against his neck. "So I'm not allowed to do this?"

Luke wrapped his arms around her, lowering his head to meet her lips in a sweet kiss. When the kiss ended, he placed another soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "Come on, crazy lady, we need to get going."

He let his fingers linger on her arm, making Lorelai weak in her knees. He had been like this all morning, constantly touching her, and she enjoyed every second of it. She loved this new side of Luke. He had been very flirtatious and playful, making her laugh and grin like an idiot. He was driving her crazy, and she just couldn't get enough of it. Or him.

A part of her wished that they had started this sooner. They had wasted so much time, dancing around each other. But the other part of her knew that she hadn't been ready then. She had needed a friend, and Luke had stepped in, no questions asked. He had become her rock. If they had started something earlier, she may have run off, afraid of changing things.

She climbed into the truck next to her best friend and now boyfriend, and she felt so sure of everything that had happened. This past year had all been leading up to this moment here. She felt so secure and happy, and as he smiled at her, she melted into his warm eyes. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her palm before settling their joined hands on the bench between them. Lorelai had never been so sure of anything in her life.

………………………………..

They took their time driving back to Stars Hollow, stopping for a long lunch and at some locations that Luke called "waste of money tourist stops", but Lorelai knew he secretly loved every minute of it.

The sun was beginning to set as Luke pulled the truck into Lorelai's driveway. Turning off his truck, he climbed out and came around to open her door. She leaned into him as he helped her out of the truck, and then the two of them went to unload her luggage. After dragging her suitcases onto her porch, Lorelai quickly invited Luke in, not wanting the day to end.

They were watching a movie on her couch – Lorelai's head in Luke's lap as he ran his fingers through her hair – when they heard the door open. Luke moved to get up, knowing that Lorelai would probably spring across the room to keep her daughter from catching them like this. However, when she made no move to change their position, he relaxed a bit.

She smiled up at him. "It's okay."

He let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The ultimate reassurance that Lorelai wanted this new change in their relationship was her being all right with her daughter seeing them like this. He wanted to kiss Lorelai right then and there, but he restrained himself as he saw Rory and her father walk into the room.

"Hey, Mom! Hey, Luke!" Rory greeted the two of them. She had a questioning look on her face, but she was smiling.

Lorelai sat up from Luke's lap and stood in order to greet her daughter with a kiss. "How was your weekend, babe?"

"It was fun," she assured her mother. "I have lots to tell you."

Lorelai turned her attention to Christopher, who was shooting daggers at Luke. "Chris," she stated, and he reluctantly turned his attention away from Luke who was sitting awkwardly on the couch. "Thanks for getting Rory home safely. It sounds like you two had a lot of fun."

He nodded. "We did."

Rory noted the uncomfortable feeling in the room between the three adults. "Thanks, Dad, for everything," Rory began. "I'll see you soon?" When Chris nodded, she continued, "Goodnight." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ushered him towards the door.

Christopher shot one last look at Luke before allowing himself to be led from the house.

"Wow. That was awkward," Lorelai stated.

Rory nodded in agreement. "Don't worry about it, Mom. That's just Dad for you."

"I know, honey."

Luke stood to leave. "I should be going."

"No, Luke, you don't have to leave," Rory assured him. "I'd like it if you stayed."

He thought for a moment but decided it was still better to leave. "It's getting late," he informed them. Both girls looked a bit disappointed. "But maybe tomorrow night, we could all have dinner at Sniffy's?" he suggested.

"We'd love that," Lorelai responded.

"Yes, we would," Rory echoed. "Mom's always raving about it whenever you two go there."

Luke nodded. "It's settled then. I'll pick you both up at seven."

"But we'll see you for breakfast tomorrow, of course," Rory added.

"Of course," Luke replied. "Goodnight," he told Lorelai and Rory before turning towards the door.

"I'll walk you out," Lorelai said, following him. When they reached the door, Lorelai leaned up and kissed him goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He ran his hand underneath her chin, before tilting her head up to give her another soft kiss. "Tomorrow," he whispered, giving her hand a squeeze before leaving her house.

Lorelai shut the door behind him, grinning to herself. She walked back into the living room and joined her daughter on the couch.

"So someone had a good weekend?" Rory asked, raising her eyebrows.

Lorelai giggled. "You can say that." She told her daughter all about her weekend with Luke, leaving out the dirty details, of course.

When Lorelai finished, her daughter gave her a broad smile. "Mom, you sound so happy," Rory noted.

Lorelai could not stop herself from smiling every time she even so much as thought about Luke. "I am, kiddo. I really am."

"I'm glad. You deserve this."

Lorelai pulled her daughter into an embrace. "So you're okay with all of this?"

Rory nodded. "I really like Luke." Rory stayed silent for a moment. "Mom?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"We finally have it," Rory stated.

Lorelai pulled away a bit so she could look at her daughter. "Have what?"

Rory smiled. "Everything." Her mother was still giving her a confused look, so she continued, "When we first moved here, you called Stars Hollow our new start, our new beginning. And now, we have it. This house. This town. Luke. This is a whole new life for us, and I wouldn't change it."

Lorelai felt tears pricking at her eyes, touched that her daughter felt this way. "Me either."

Lorelai did finally have it. She had this whole new life ahead of her with Rory and Luke, and she couldn't wait to see where it would lead her.

_Fin._

_Thanks for reading and for always leaving such wonderful reviews! Please review this chapter as well. I may write a sequel if there's enough interest, but it probably won't be anytime soon. I have one or two projects in the works for the summer (which I hope you all will read), and then, I'll be in France for the fall, but I may be willing to write a sequel after I come home :-)_


End file.
